The Adventures of Natsu and Naruto Uzumaki
by Thallion
Summary: What if Naruto had an older sibling? Not just that, What if he had a fraternal twin brother who was just a few seconds older? How will that change the story we all know and love? Let's find out, shall we? Changes coming soon.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys this is Thallion! This is my first ever fic Naruto or otherwise. I hope you guys enjoy leave any comments, criticisms, or concerns in the comments section.**

 **What if Naruto had a twin brother who was just a few seconds older than the famed child of prophecy? What if this boy also happened to have the yin half of the Nine-tailed Fox sealed within him? How will this change our story?**

 **I plan to take this fic from the start of the anime to the end of Shippuden. This will not be a harem fic; however, I do plan to do pairings.**

 **The pairings are as follows, so far: Naruto, Hinata; OC, Ino; Sakura, Sasuke; Shikamaru, Temari; TenTen, Lee; Kiba, OC; Shino, OC; Choji, Karui**

 **Comment any questions and I'll get back to you**

"Normal Speaking" of most characters

" _Normal Thinking" of most characters_

"Jutsu" for everyone

" **Kurama Talking"**

" ** _Kurama Thinking"_**

 **I have never written creatively before and I hope to do the show justice.**

 **Warning: There will be some mild Sasuke, maybe Kakashi, bashing as this work progresses. Rated M for mild violence, language, and some possible lemons later in the story.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from the popular anime or manga Naruto or any of its' affiliated works.**

 **Hope you guys enjoy! UPDATED!**

 **Chapter 1: Enter Naruto and Natsu Uzumaki: Jinchuriki of the Leaf!**

The wind blew softly through the trees as the moon hung high and full above Hi no Kuni illuminating the forest below. Here we find Konohagakure: The Village Hidden in the Leaves. To the east of the village in a cave surrounded by rock walls and a powerful sealing barrier we find several medical-ninja; Biwako Sarutobi, the wife of the Sandaime Hokage; and finally, the young and ready to give birth Kushina Uzumaki along with her husband Minato Namikaze, the great Yondaime Hokage. The cavern was lit by torches along the wall giving light to the scattered medic-nin hurriedly finalizing the preparations for the birth.

Kushina was laying back on a stone table surrounded by sealing arrays, deep within Kushina the Kyuubi no kitsune lay chained and shackled to a pedestal unable to move. As Kushina began to scream, her dilation reaching optimal width.

"AAAAHHHHH!" she cried out as the child began to crown.

Kushina grunted in effort, sweat beading down her face from the immense strain, until finally

"Waaaaahhh!" cried the newborn child as he was craddled by a smiling Biwako while Kushina fell back in exhaustion

The medical-ninja quickly cut the child' umbilical cord and passed the baby boy along to one of the nurses standing by. The nurses then washed him and checked his vitals.

The newborn had red spiky hair atop his head. As the nurses finished their check-up on the red-haired boy Kushina suddenly convulsed again as a second child began to crown.

Biwako' eyes widened when she saw the second child crowning, having not expected it so soon. She rushed over and began assisting in the birth of the Yondaime' second child and before long

"Waaaaaah!" the second born cried, both his parents smiling down at the child, one in extreme exhaustion the other with a nearly broken hand

The nurses quickly got to work on the newborn washing him and checking his vitals.

Unlike his fraternal twin the second born had spiky yellow hair across his head and was much louder than his older brother. While there was no obvious difference between the two newborns, aside from their hair color, this boy seemed special.

Kushina and Minato each held one of their children smiling, Kushina still exhausted from childbirth but feeling more complete and content than she had ever felt. One of the nurses walked over to the couple and asked, "So what will you name them Lord Hokage, Lady Kushina?"

"We already agreed that we would name one of them Naruto after the hero in my sensei's first novel," stated Minato" However what do you want to name our other son my love?"

"I like the name Natsu, for our little redhead and we can name our little blonde Naruto" Kushina wheezed slightly, still tired from giving birth

"Alright, my love, we shall name our firstborn son Natsu. And our second born son Naruto." cheered Minato

"Great!" chirped the nurse an uplifting smile on her face.

A pair of medical-ninja then took babies Natsu and Naruto for a final check after allowing the parents to hold their children.

"Everything went off without a hitch," Biwako said warmly as she walked back over from the check-up station a beaming smile across her aging face

Suddenly Minato's head shot up and he shouted," Who's there!?" towards the mouth of the cave.

From the mouth of the cave came a figure cloaked in shadow. As the figure walked toward the couple he became more defined. He wore a black cloak, leg warmers and sandals. With each step, more and more of him became visible until the light reached where his face should be.

Covering the man' face was a white mask two semicircle lines along the top half and three along the bottom with two lines along the center cutting across from the left side and circling around a single eye hole on the left side.

The eye that shown through the mask was blood red with three black tomoe surrounding the pupil of the eye. Before anyone could react to the stranger he rushed toward the two nurses and Lady Biwako who were checking the new born children of the Yondaime Hokage, and slit their throats with a single motion before grabbing the new born twins. The three fell to the ground with a thud while the infants whaled in their captors arm

Minato flinched toward the figure but before he could throw his kunai the figure barked out, "Take one step and I'll kill your children as well, Namikaze!"

Minato froze in his tracks only for an instant. He lunged forward and, with his god like speed, grabbed both of his children from the arms of the assailant. The figure smirked behind his mask and while Minato made sure his sons were safe.

The cloaked Uchiha dashed over and took Kushina from the stone table before looking up at Minato. The Uchiha' eye began to spin until it had transformed now closely resembling a pinwheel before the space around him and Kushina began to spiral the masked man escaping the cave in a swirling vortex of space with Kushina trapped in his grip.

 **~Outside the Cave~**

Once outside the cave the figure reached down to Kushina' abdomen and destroyed the seal keeping the Nine-Tails trapped within Kushina.

"AARRGGGHHH!" Kushina screamed as her eyes rolled back, wide as saucers, from the excruciating pain of the Nine-Tails escaping her body

Seconds later Minato ran out of the cave children in hand. He raced over to the barely conscious Kushina and, using his "Hiraishin no Jutsu", transported the four of them back to his and Kushina' home.

He laid his family down within his bed saying, "Rest now my love I'll be back as soon as I can. I love you all so much," and with that he teleported away.

"My precious children," Kushina said weakly, childbirth and the breaking of the seal taking their tole, "We love you both so much Naruto, Natsu, grow strong." Kushina said holding her children close as she began to hum a soothing lullaby.

 **~With Minato~**

Meanwhile Minato had arrived back in the forest where the masked man had released the Nine-Tails, which now stood behind the figure, it' eyes no longer large slits but mimicking the Sharringan of the Uchiha

"Why are you doing this? Who are you!?" Minato shouted outrage clear in his voice and a look of utter disbelief across his face

"I am Madara Uchiha, and I want to rule this world but in order to accomplish that I must acquire the tailed beasts and their immense power!" Stated the figure his tone as cold as ice his sharringan eye still in that strange pinwheel form

" _Madara Uchiha?"_ Minato pondered " _No, that should be impossible he must have died by now like the other shinobi of his time. But that strength, that cunning, and a sharingan eye strong enough to subdue the Nine-Tails, who else could it be?"_ Minato was thrown from his reverie by a kunai whizzing past the side of his head.

"Are you gonna stand around all day or are you gonna fight me?" The man who claimed to be Madara asked in his deep monotone

With his mind focused, Minato raised a three-pronged custom made kunai and rushed at the masked shinobi. Minato tried to stab his kunai knife into the faux Madara' face; however, it seemed as though the kunai just went through the assailant' head.

As it phased through the masked assailant Minato teleported to it grabbing it and using it to slash at the masked Uchiha only for the kunai to again phase through the man

Minato continued to strike at the rogue ninja but to no avail. He then did a flip over the masked ninja releasing a length of wire mid flip trying to ensnare the foe. The wire went straight through the masked shinobi who laughed and said, "Those cheap tricks won't work on me you fool!"

Minato growled and lunged at the figure only to have the wind knocked out of him and find himself launched into a tree with a punch to the stomach. "You can't win. I have grown strong since last we met much stronger than you," his voice was even with a light taunting tone. The masked figure looked up to where the Yondaime hit the tree only to see a fading ring of dust.

"What? Where did he go!?" the figure asked panic causing his voice to crack ever so slightly

"Right behind you." Minato growled as he hit the masked figure with a swirling ball of chakra in the side Minato shouted, "Rasengan!"

The rogue Uchiha was sent spiraling into a tree with his cloak tattered his side revealed to be a starch white with a spiral of damage where the attack had landed. What was really astonishing was the lack of blood from the wound

" _That was a full force_ _Rasengan_ _, to be able to stand is astonishing but to do so with no external damage or blood is unheard of_ ," Minato thought his eyes wide, " _Who is this guy and where have I fought him before? I don't remember fighting with many Uchiha,_ "

The masked shinobi stood up and while glaring at Minato said, "You have won this day but mark my words. I shall rule this world, the Nine-Tails and all the other tailed beasts shall be mine,"

With that the figure began to fade out like a mirage. His body spiraling and compressing into the space where his eye was. Laughing maniacally the masked ninja said, "You have won this battle, but what of your village and family?"

Minato turned, his senses tuning to his surroundings. His eyes widened in shock and apprehension as he saw the Demon fox tearing apart the forest surrounding the village inching closer with every second. Minato heard the cries of shinobi as one after another they were killed or sent flying by the great fox spirit.

While Minato fought against the masked shinobi he had lost focus of the nearby village which fell prey to the now hypnotized and enraged Nine-tailed fox spirit.

 **~Meanwhile in Konoha(Villager POV)~**

It was a calm and peaceful night in Konohagakure. The moon sat high and bright above the village with not a cloud in the sky.

The only odd thing that night was that no one could find the Yondaime Hokage or his wife anywhere in the Hokage' compound.

Suddenly the winds begin to pick up going from a gentle autumn breeze to an intense gale throwing dust and debris everywhere. The very ground began to shake beneath the village as the monstrous demon fox appeared.

This was the Nine-Tailed fox of local legend, a beast whose very name brought fear to all shinobi within _Hi no Kuni_. Its' chakra was said to be comprised of pure malice and hatred. The fox was the size of a mountain and had nine powerful, whip-like tails of equal length. It' fur was as deep and red as a blood orange, its' eyes were a dark scalding red with three black tomoe surrounding the pupil.

To the untrained eyes of the civilians and most Chunin and Genin the fox' eyes were of no consequence but simply full of hatred and anger.

To those better trained shinobi, the Sharringan on the face of the demon fox rose hundreds of red flags. The Jonin, especially those from larger clans, would have wondered what it meant had they not been inches from death and that of their comrades.

The villagers of Konohagakure fought valiantly to secure their homes and protect their friends and comrades; however, against a foe such as this, the most powerful of the tailed beasts, they were no more than flies buzzing around the beast.

Only one man could hope to stand a chance against the beast, Minato Namikaze, better known as the Yondaime Hokage but as of then he was nowhere to be found.

 **~With Minato~**

Minato's mind raced at a mile a minute. " _I have to get over there! I have to save them and protect my family!_ "

Minato teleported himself to the gates of the village where he was greeted with cheers of relief. He bit his right thumb drawing some blood and then began to weave together a set of hand signs muttering something before he slammed his right hand down onto the ground in front of him shouting, "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

Where the Yondaime stood a moment ago, now towered the giant Chief toad Gamabunta.

Gamabunta took in his surrounding, including the feeling of the Yondaime Hokage standing atop his head, and the wave of killer intent rolling over him. Standing there its' tails waving in the air was the vicious Nine-Tailed fox.

The chief toads' eyes widened when he saw the demon fox and he said coolly, "So, you finally summon me again and you expect me to keep up against the fucking fox!"

"Yeah, I know and I am sorry but I really need your help to delay him for a moment," apologized Minato

Gamabunta smirked, "Well let's do it then!" he shouted as they rushed at the Nine-Tails

Together Gamabunta and the Yondaime subdued the beast, for the most part, using the Water Style: Syrup Trap Jutsu enhanced by Minato' Raiton chakra giving a light paralyzing effect

"Can you wait here for me?" Minato asked the giant toad

"Yeah, you got about fifteen minutes, tops," Gamabunta grumbled before he jumped up and landed on the giant demon fox

"Thanks, old friend," Minato said with a grin before he disappeared in a yellow flash

"Whatever," Gamabunta muttered, a troubled look on his face

 **~Minato' House~**

Kushina lied in her' and Minato' bed completely exhausted with a content smile on her face as her newborn children held close to her while she hummed a soothing lullaby to them both

"Kushina…," Minato said softly

Kushina turned her head to look at him understanding in her eyes before he even spoke

"You don't have much time and the trap I used to stop the Nine-tails won't last long," Minato said, his face becoming more serious as he spoke,

"We need to seal the Nine-Tails again," Minato said looking down at his sons with a smile.

Kushina looked from him to the children worry etched into her features, "We can't put such a burden on our children!" she cried.

"If not our children, then Whose? Minato countered

"…" Kushina was silent at that, "The life of a jinchuriki is just so lonely, I don't want that for them." She reasoned

"I understand that but I believe that our children will be able to master this power and change the world with it!" Minato said with a reassuring smile, "Besides if we do this right they will always have each other,"

Kushina was too weak and couldn't think of another counter argument so she relented and sighed, "Fine but how will we seal the Nine-Tails into them both?"

"I'll seal the Yin half in Natsu and the Yang half into Naruto." Minato said flatly as though the solution was obvious.

"But if you seal all of the Nine-tails Yin Chakra into Natsu won't it harm him?" Kushina asked worry clear in her tired face

"Not with the new Eight Trigrams Seal I've created," Minato said proudly "The design allows some of the chakra to seep through the seal and merge with the theirs as they grow up, I promise neither of them will be harmed by the chakra and if they should perish the Nine-Tails will die with them permanently sealed."

Kushina gave up and smiled at her husband saying, "You really believe in them that much already, huh?"

"Of course, they're my sons, aren't they?" Minato said smiling softly before he wrapped his family in a tight hug and teleported the four of them to where he and Gamabunta had trapped the Nine-Tailed fox.

When they arrived, they found the fox still there and trying to free itself roaring in frustration as he struggled within both the syrup trap and the weight of Gamabunta.

"Thank you for guarding him, Gamabunta," Minato said as he unsealed a small altar from a scroll in his pocket Minato and Kushina quickly set up the altar and placed both Natsu and Naruto upon it.

Kushina made the Ram seal and shouted, "Adamantine Chains: Sealing Technique,"

Twelve ethereal yellow chains grew from Kushina' hair before they flew forward to secure the Nine-Tails so he couldn't escape halfway through the ritual. The chains wrapped around each of his tails and his limbs. Once the fox was secure Kushina turned to Minato and nodded before creating more chains around them erecting a huge barrier to keep back any interlopers.

Unbeknownst to them the Fox' eyes had begun to shift from the Sharringan back to their original black slits

Minato then made the iconic hand sign for the Shadow Clone Jutsu creating a single clone that began weaving hand signs together with him and building their chakra again. As they finished the hand signs their eyes suddenly opened and they shouted, "Death Reaper Sealing Jutsu!" with that a figure in a pure white robe appeared behind Minato.

The figure had long layered dark gray hair, his skin was a light lavender with black markings along its' left arm, it had sharp fangs and held there between it' teeth was a small single edged blade with snow white wrappings on the hilt, in his left hand were red prayer beads.

The figure raised its' left arm and slowly pushed it through Minato, who gurgled in pain. As it reached through Minato and his clone' bodies it' arm morphed as it came out their stomachs, composed completely of chakra, the strange black markings now decorating the electric blue appendage. The arms snaked their' way toward the Nine-Tails, who fully regained control of himself at that moment the effects of the masked ninja' Sharingan Genjutsu finally subsiding.

The Nine-Tails suddenly realized what was happening around him his senses returning. " ** _Ugh what happened to me?"_**

The Nine-Tails thought as he noticed the shinobi standing below him realizing what they were about to do, " ** _No, No, No not again!_** **You won't seal me again especially not into a couple of brats like that!"** the Nine-Tails thought/Roared.

The ethereal hands of the reaper laced themselves through the twin boys, who each shuddered in their sleep, before it continued towards the great Demon Fox

The Nine-Tails began to struggle more fiercely not knowing that the hand of the Death Reaper was slowly coming closer. The great fox managed to free one clawed hand from the syrup trap as the Reaper finally made it to the target. Upon contact with the reaper the Nine-tails' eyes widened as the visage of the Shinigami himself appeared his hands holding firm on the fox.

The Shinigami began to pull the fox Bijuu in two directions separating the Nine-Tails, using the tanto in it' mouth, into it' Yin and Yang halves. The two halves were pulled from the trap and pulled toward the newborn children the Yang half being pulled into Naruto and the Yin half was pulled into Natsu a spiral with an eight-point star composed of tall symbols appearing on the infants' stomachs.

With that Minato exhaled a breath he had not realized he was holding while his clone disappeared. He then looked at his two sons panting from the exertion of both the Shadow Clone and Death Reaper Sealing Jutsu.

"We did it Kushina! The jutsu worked!" cheered Minato looking over at his wife who smiled back, "Now there's just one more thing we need to do" stated Minato

"What's that?" asked Kushina a quizzical look gracing her tired yet content features

"We have to leave them a message before we pass on." stated Minato who was now trying to think of what to tell his sons

"I-I wish we could be here to watch you both grow up and become the men we know you will be," Kushina said as she began to cry, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes'.

"I know you will be strong, and brave, and that you will change this world," Minato said as he too teared up, "I know your life will be hard and that you boys may be hated for what I have done tonight, but I know you will rise above the hatred and change it into something positive and powerful. I know deep down that the two of you are the child of prophecy my master once took me for. The two of you will change this world full of hate and destruction and make it into a world of acceptance and creation of peace and unity between the nations of the world." He sniveled pride evident in his voice as he spoke tears running down his smiling face.

Kushina choked back her tears and said, "The life of a Jinchuriki is a tough one…"

"… but are necessary for maintaining the current balance of power within the five-elemental nation" interjected Minato

"… Right and I understand that" Kushina said, "it's still incredibly difficult for anyone to endure I wish it didn't have to be you my beautiful children, but like your father, I believe you can overcome the hardships and become stronger because of it," Kushina said with a teary-eyed smile

"Never give them a real reason to hate you boys," Minato said "The villagers may not understand now but one day I'm sure they'll see you as you and not the Demon that destroyed them."

"Smile lots and help whenever you can," Kushina said as the couple' time began to run out.

"Make lots of friends and master this power, I know you can do both my sons." Minato said

"Don't be picky eaters boys eat all you can and eat lots of fruits and vegetables!" Kushina said "Keep yourselves clean and make sure to clean up after yourselves and…"

"That's enough Kushina, don't want to be a nag on day one. Our time is almost up. Boys if nothing else, know that we are so proud of you and will always love you even if we are not there to tell you or show you" said Minato

"Yes and we will always be here watching over you from across the veil. We love you both so much Natsu and Naruto, Heroes of the Leaf" Kushina said with a smile

It was at that moment that the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, ran up to the group his summons, Monkey King: Enma in his adamantine staff form, in hand along with a small group of Anbu Black Ops following him.

The Sandaime and his Anbu had been blocked in their path by Kushina' Adamantine chains but had seen and heard everything the couple said, their chests aching from the helplessness they felt.

Hiruzen came up to Minato and Kushina, who had fallen to their knees above their children, and with their dying breathes said, "Watch over our children keep them safe and happy in our stead please, Sarutobi Sensei." with those final words Minato and Kushina fell back, peaceful smiles adorning their faces

Hiruzen fell to his knees looking at the bodies of his fallen comrades, "I will protect these boys like they were my own my friends _. I will protect them and keep them safe until I too pass on and join you in the next world_ ", Hiruzen said/thought tears in his eyes when suddenly from nowhere he heard Kushina's voice say, " _Thank you Hiruzen_ …"

Hiruzen walked over to the pedestal next to the bodies of his fallen friends and picked up the twin boys holding them in his arms trying to comfort them as they cried for their parents. He looked down and saw so much of their parents in them.

The Sandaime then turned to the group of Anbu and was puzzled by the arrival of the member of the legendary Sannin, Jiraiya, who looked from the body of his prized student, Minato Namikaze, to that of his wife, Kushina Uzumaki-Namikaze beside him, tears welled in the sage' eyes but he dared not let them fall.

The hokage stood, the boys still held tightly in his arms, and said, "Jiraiya, Anbu, I decree that from this point on anyone who mentions the status of these two boys Naruto", holding up the younger blonde child, "and Natsu", holding up the slightly older red-haired child, "shall be severely punished. The events of this night are now an S ranked village secret. None of the children of the next generation, especially these two boys, may know that within these children sleeps the Nine-Tailed fox. It shall be written that on this day Minato Namikaze, the Great Yondaime Hokage, and his wife, Kushina Uzumaki-Namikaze, died defending the village from the Nine-Tails killing the beast. These boys shall keep their mothers last name for their own protection and shall be looked after by myself and those I seek out. From this moment forward the origins of Natsu and Naruto Uzumaki shall be classified at the highest level. Now Go forth and spread this message to those who have survived and make sure they don't know the identities of the children' parents!" Shouted the Third Hokage.

With that the surrounding Anbu dispersed themselves to relay the proclamation of the former, now temporary, Hokage. Jiraiya then walked up to Sarutobi and said, "These boys are in for a tough life."

"Yes, they are indeed." Replied Hiruzen, "Will you stay to help look after them, my former student?"

"No, that's too much work for a drifter like me!" Jiraiya yelped "Besides having to care for these kids will cut into my research, HaHaHa! _Besides if they're around they'll remind me too much of Minato and Kushina._ " Jiraiya said thinking the end.

"Fine but at least promise me one thing." Stated the third

"And what would that be, Sarutobi Sensei?" Jiraiya asked

"When they come of age and require guidance, will you train them?" asked Sarutobi a stern look on his face

"I'll think about it." Jiraiya said flatly

"That's all I ask." Hiruzen sighed holding back his tears while he rocked the infants in his arms

" _These boys deserve to be kings in this village, that will likely not be the case, so I will find some way to make their lives better, somehow_ ," Enma thought his eye fixed on the boys from his standing position behind Hiruzen before he disappeared in a cloud of smoke

 **~Time skip 12 years later~**

Twelve years have passed since the night of the Nine-Tails massacre. The village has healed physically, buildings have been rebuilt and trees replanted; however, while the physical wounds of that night have since faded the emotional scars still cut deep through the hearts of every villager who survived that night.

The Uzumaki brothers had grown since that night as well. The two twelve year olds are both about 1 meter tall and while physically fit they were quite small for their age. They each had the iconic fox whisker marks on their faces, three on each cheek.

Natsu had piercing but kind steel blue eyes with shoulder length red hair, the spiky mop he held as an infant having grown straight and long. He wore a bright red T-Shirt with a black leaf village insignia across the back and on left breast, over that he had a steel blue hoodie vest with black knee length cargo shorts with a pocket on each thigh, and finally he finished the outfit with a pair of black shinobi sandals.

Naruto wore a similar outfit with a navy-blue T-Shirt that had the village symbol in white on the back and left breast, he had a bright orange hoodie vest and grey knee length cargo shorts with pockets on each thigh, and blue shinobi sandals.

The boys had enrolled in the Konohagakure Ninja academy two years ago, when they turned ten, and had since been shown even more hatred and had even more people looking down on them or trying more fiercely to kill them.

Today, as the boys walked from their modest one room one bath apartment to the academy, the villagers stared down at them glaring with malice at the children for having the simple dream of becoming Shinobi.

The boys saw the cold glares and could feel the collective hatred and Killing Intent(KI) of the villagers along their route to school and, like every other day, they kept walking ignoring the cold glares and heading toward the academy. They didn't understand why the village hated them. Why the villagers seemed so cold to them.

But today was different. Unlike every other day of their lives today was the day of a final exam and they planned to ace it and graduate the academy early.

They had found a rule in the school' honor code that allowed a student to participate in the graduation exam early if they had the written consent of a Jonin or above shinobi, which they did.

The week before had been spent begging their 'Hokage Jiji' to allow them to take the exam and try to prove themselves to Jiji and the village. He was completely against it at first, but when Natsu mentioned that it could also be used as a way to test their skills and figure out what they still needed to work on, and a double dose of their patented, "Sexy Jutsu!", he finally conceded under the condition that they would take it after school so as not to disrupt the normal graduation exam.

This was their first chance to become shinobi and prove the villagers wrong, that they could become great ninja maybe even become Hokage. They felt so distanced from the village but at least they had each other and the Old Man was nice to them giving them money for food and necessities, letting them live in their apartment for free, and just for smiling at them when the world decided that they were less than trash.

Before long they had arrived at a large building which housed the Ninja Academy, where young children were trained to withstand and succeed in the harsh world of the Shinobi.

The Uzumaki brothers walked inside and through the wood floored, white walled hallways until they came to room 201 for Iruka-Sensei' class. The room was lively with idle chatter between the different students ignoring the two new arrivals.

A man with brown hair tied into a spiked-ponytail on top of his head, a green flak jacket with a red spiral on the back and multiple pockets on the front, and a blue regulation chunin jumpsuit. This was Irukaa-Sensei one of the few villagers who tried to teach the boys and who did not glare at them. He and the Hokage were also the only ones who ever smiled at the boys or reprimanded them fairly and the teacher assigned to administer their Graduation test later that day, after the normal classes.

"All right, settle down everyone!" Iruka-Sensei called only for the chatter to continue, Iruka sighed before making the Ram sign activating his patented, 'Big Head Jutsu' before shouting "Quiet!" Which caused the room to turn silent as the children became aware of their teachers' presence.

"Ugh, this is such a drag" said one Shikamaru Nara. The young boy wore a grey shirt with blue accents on the cuffs of the sleeves and a yellow circle with orange wave like markings in it and grey shorts. He had a spikey black ponytail on top of his head tied with an olive-green band and had a sulking tired look on his face like he had been roused from sleep to early and was still grumpy about it.

"Oh, come on Shikamaru, it's not that bad." said Choji Akamichi a chubby kid with a deep love of food. The boy wore a green jacket with an off-white band around the shoulders and neck are and tan shorts. He had spiky brown hair that went back in an upward diagonal. He had spiral markings on his cheeks and was munching on some barbeque potato chips. "and besides Shikamaru if you pass you can become a ninja and get your laid back average life."

"Your right but it's still a drag." said Shikamaru with a smirk

"All right now that we're all done talking and catching up how about we get started with today' history lesson" Iruka said with a wide grin receiving a collective sigh from the students.

"Aaaaahhh, I hate these boring classes" grumbled Naruto as he began to run his fingers through his hair angrily.

"Hmph, I know that the lectures are boring but if you think of what was done it becomes amazing like the founding of Konoha, the Battle of the End, the Three Great Ninja Wars," said Natsu with sparkles in his eyes, "I could explain if you get stuck or bored?"

"I guess you're right big bro and thanks sounds helpful" said Naruto a little more focused now that his brother was going to help explain the dry material

 **~Time skip: After Classes~**

"All right everybody that's it for today see you the same time tomorrow" Iruka said with a kind smile "Naruto, Natsu, please stay after class we have to discuss your' test,"

The rest of the class looked back snickering at the brothers who were forced to stay behind wondering what they had done to be held after and how badly they had done on some test

"Yes, Iruka-Sensei!" the brothers said simultaneously while the rest of the class filed out of the room still chuckling

"What do we need to discuss?" Naruto asked hoping something hadn't happened

"Nothing, I just can't proctor your' exam today so I am having Mizuki-sensei proctor it in my place," Iruka said kindly before he noticed the looks on the brothers' faces

"What's wrong?" Iruka asked worried

"Nothing, Iruka-sensei, it's just…" Naruto began

"Just, what?" Iruka asked

"It's just that whenever we are around Mizuki-sensei we get this weird feeling and chills down our spines or nausea," Natsu said looking sick from the memory

"I see well then you have a choice you can decide to not take the exam early or you can take it with Mizuki-sensei as your' proctor," Iruka said with a serious look

"But that's not fair, Sensei!" Naruto shouted

"In the ninja world, you will be put into situations very similar to this so consider it extra credit," Iruka said with a kind smile

"I guess you have a point, Sensei," Natsu said before turning to his brother, who nodded

"I guess we'll work with Mizuki-sensei," Natsu said with a begrudging look on his face

"Good, he is waiting for you in our office with the written test," Iruka said smiling at the two Uzumaki who were a bit worried

 **~Time Skip: Chunin Sensei Office~**

The brothers entered the office while mentally reviewing every fact they had in their minds until they came face to face with Mizuki who glared down at them before it turned into a small smile. The transition was so fast the brothers almost missed it, almost.

"Okay, you two are taking the exam early today, congrats on getting permission," Mizuki said with a small smile, " _These demon brats have truly brainwashed the Hokage if they got him to allow them to take the test early with their grades as they are_ ,"

Mizuki then showed the boys to a small table with two chairs and two test forms and pencils, "Now, you may begin whenever you're ready you have one hour from now to complete it though,"

The brothers dashed into the seats and began the test. It was pretty simple five, scenario based questions; some basic trajectory questions; some history; and a true or false question. Natsu went through the questions a little more quickly than Naruto but they were both struggling on the trajectory and the specific history dates.

Natsu might like the stories themselves and know the order in which they went but the specific years always got super jumbled for him and even more so for Naruto.

 **~One hour Later~**

"Time!" Mizuki called as he grabbed the two tests off the table and began looking them over his eyes widening for a moment before a sinister smirk crossed his features, " _They did pretty well, for two kids trying for early graduation, but with a few 'minor corrections' these two will fail the written exam,_ "

"Did we do okay, Mizuki-sensei?" Naruto asked with an innocent and worried voice

Natsu suddenly felt a chill down his spine when Mizuki heard Naruto' question. The feeling remained as Mizuki turned but when Natsu saw the Chunin-sensei' face he was baffled. Rather than the scowl he expected he saw Mizuki with a 'Genuine Smile'

" _How can he have such a real looking smile while he is giving off so much hatred? And why hasn't Naruto noticed?"_ Natsu wondered but was brought back, out of his thoughts, by Mizuki' answer

"Yes, you passed the test, but just barely, your' math was off in a few places and you got confused in the history questions it would seem," Mizuki said scrutinizing the test forms

"Sweet! We passed!" Naruto shouted, which made another wave of negative emotions roll off of Mizuki

"Yeah we did!" Natsu said high fiving his brother

"Don't get ahead of yourselves," Mizuki said dryly, "You still have to pass the Ninjutsu portion of the test and the Taijutsu portion,"

The brothers paled for a second remembering their difficulty with the damned clone jutsu

"Right, Nnjutsu, well at least there isn't a Genjutsu portion to the test," Naruto said with a sigh

"Kai!" Natsu shouted while his fingers were in the Ram seal, "Yeah, there wasn't one"

"Why did you do that?" shouted a startled Naruto

"Just in case we had been put under a Genjutsu while taking or handing in the test," Natsu explained earning an 'ah ha' look from Naruto and a light scowl from Mizuki

"Anyway, time for the Jutsu test so start with the Henge no Jutsu," Mizuki said looking at the boys with scrutiny while he held up a clipboard

Naruto and Natsu turned to each other before nodding and running through a few hand seals and transforming into the Hokage until Mizuki said to stop

Mizuki put down the clipboard and began clapping slowly before patting Naruto on the back, "Good work on the Henge no Jutsu now let's try the Kawarimi no Jutsu,"

As he said that and patted his back Natsu could feel some positive emotions coming from him, almost like the feeling of a successful prank, but more.

The boys once again went through hand seals and channeled their chakra into the jutsu and while Natsu switched with a pencil on the table Naruto remained in the same place still trying to use the Kawarimi. Natsu looked at him and began to feel his anguish wash over him and his anger at himself for his inability

"Agh, I can't do it!" Naruto growled trying again and again

"Well Naruto, I'm sorry but if you can't do all three Jutsu then you can't pass, but don't worry this just means you should work on your' Ninjutsu and Taijutsu since we didn't get to that part of the test before you failed miserably" Mizuki said with a 'reassuring' smile

"Natsu, however, can still go ahead with the clone Jutsu and try to pass the Taijutsu portion," Mizuki said with a less reassuring and more strained smile

Naruto looked over at his brother with shame on his face. He was worried his brother might leave him in the hell of their academy lives, alone. Sensing Naruto's sadness and fear, Natsu walked over to him and pulled him into a hug saying, "It's okay if you didn't pass we'll try again next year."

With that Naruto looked at his brother tears in his eyes and said, "But you still haven't taken the Taijutsu exam Big Bro you could still pass! Why aren't you gonna try!?" asked Naruto

"Because becoming a ninja in this harsh world isn't worth it if to do so I must leave you behind." Natsu said a sad smile on his face causing Mizuki to have a disgusted look on his face

"I forfeit Mizuki-Sensei," Natsu said "let's go back home I'll get something special for dinner and then we'll start training even harder, how does that sound?" Natsu asked patting his brother on the head

"I accept your' forfeit and will write it up in my report," Mizuki said with a neutral face

"Thanks, big bro." Naruto sniveled as the brothers left the room to head home Mizuki had a wide smile on his face

"This will be easy to exploit," Mizuki said his grin widening until it bordered on mad

 **~Outside the Academy~**

As the two began to leave the room Natsu noticed a strange tag attached to the back of his brothers' hoodie vest. "Hey, what's that on your back Naruto?" asked Natsu

"I'm not sure." Naruto said as he reached back and grabbed it

One of the Chunin teachers, who had been walking to the shared office, came over hearing the discovery of the tag

"Do you know what this is?" asked the brothers

"Looks like a smoke paper bomb that never went off." said the Chunin teacher " _Ha great job Mizuki with this tag the little brat couldn't have controlled his chakra at all let alone to cast a jutsu!_ " Thought the sensei

"I'll take this off your hands and make sure it's disposed of properly" the sensei told the boys a smile on his face " _Serves you right demon brats_!" the smile turning slightly malicious as he reached for the tag

"No that's fine Sensei I'll hold on to it," said Natsu who after seeing that smile on the Sensei' face became suspicious "Who knows it might come in handy,"

"Fine then." The Chunin grumbled

"Hey Naruto, why don't you head home and work on your meditation exercises while I go to the store and meet you back at the apartment in a couple hours?" Natsu asked with a kind-hearted smile

"Okay, Big Bro, I guess it can't hurt," Naruto said still a little sad. Naruto then hugged his brother goodbye and said, "Thanks again for not leaving me behind."

"Of course little bro I'd never do that." Stated Natsu with sincerity

As Natsu watched his brother leave he looked down at the tag still in his hand. " _I don't think this is a smoke bomb or a normal paper bomb, but_ What is this thing?" Natsu thought saying the last part aloud

It was then that a pair of chunin passed by one noticed the tag in young Natsu' hand and snickered quietly to his co-worker, "Hey dude, check it out, one of the demon brats has a chakra inhibiting tag." his friend looked over and laughed as they passed by into the office

" _So, that's what this is!?"_ Natsu thought, " _Is there nothing these people won't do to impede us? Can we ever get a fair shake in this damned village!?_ " Natsu roared within his own mind before his eyes widened in realization

" _This must be why I sensed that feeling of victory from Mizuki-sensei between the Henge and the Kawarimi,"_ Natsu thought his eyes darkening before he realized something else

" _He was trying to separate us and even worse if I'm right he has been sabotaging our Taijutsu and Shurikenjutsu one way or another for two years now_!" Natsu thought

He remembered all the 'corrections' Mizuki made to their stances when Iruka-sensei wasn't looking or the Kunai set Mizuki gave the brothers when they started saying that since they were orphans the school was supposed to donate the equipment to them so they could practice outside of class

Natsu looked down at the tag in his hands. His first instinct was to rip the tag to pieces but instead he stowed it in his pouch and decided to use it to prank Mizuki-sensei later.

Natsu ran off into the forest not wanting anyone to see him throw a tantrum. Not wanting to give these asshole villagers the satisfaction of knowing that they got to him that they made him cry and hurt without touching him, for once.

He ran until he came to an unoccupied training ground. The training ground had a small pond with white-gray stones and clear water, a forest surrounded the clearing which had almost no grass but was lined with lush and thick shrubbery.

Natsu walked into the underbrush toward a tree far from the clearing where he thought no one would see him or hear him. Once deep enough in Natsu began punching a tree questioning the events of today and his life in general

"Why" he growled punching the tree in front of him "Why do they hate us"

"Wwwwwhhhhhhhyyyyyyy!?" Natsu roared to the heavens before punching a small hole in the tree and dropping to his knees as he began to sob his anger ebbing into sadness.

"Why do they hate us so much? What did we do to deserve this?" Natsu asked to any who would answer. Then Natsu began to hear a low murmuring laugh coming from nowhere and yet he could hear it all around him.

"Who's there?" Natsu asked a little worried

" **I am,"** growled a voice filled with hatred

 **Wow! I didn't think I could write this long. This fic weighs in at just under 5600 words and is again my first ever fic and use of creative writing. Anything you want to know or ask me about goes in the comments section. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys Thallion here again with another exciting issue! I loved the comments and reviews you guys gave and even got a chance to participate in the Naruto/Hinata fluff event going on. Thanks again and I am just getting started. ;) Thanks for the Love! UPDATED!**

 **Chapter 2: The Truth Revealed: Passions Ignited!**

" **I am** " came a voice, filled with hatred

Natsu blinked in surprise but, when his eyes opened again, he found himself in a strange cave. It was dark but he could still see quite clearly. The cave was deep and went into the heart of the mountain with various tunnels branching off from the main tunnel with strange veins running throughout the walls transporting a familiar but unrecognized blue substance.

As he walked down the main tunnel he felt drawn further into the caves. A malicious aura permeated the air as he moved. The further he went into the tunnels the stronger the sense of dread he felt got when suddenly a cackling laughter rang out

" **Yes, come closer boy show me your courage!"** cackled the voice

" **You seek answers only I can give you, but first you must impress me!"**

Natsu came upon an immense chamber composed of a large semicircular room, the tunnel connecting to the curve of the semicircle, torches lined the walls being place every few meters. The far wall of the cave was a prison cell door with iron bars holding back the source of the malicious aura.

Natsu trembled slightly as he walked further into the vast cavern. The hatred of whatever was trapped behind the bars was overwhelming and the closer he got the more it bared down on him.

"Who are you? Where are we? How did you bring me here?" Natsu asked in rapid fire succession showing his age and hyperactive nature

Natsu' eyes widened as the creature came closer to the bars, there before the young boy, behind the bars, sat the Nine-Tailed demon fox that attacked the village just twelve years ago.

" **I see you know who I am yet you still question me? Ha! You're braver than I gave you credit for, and how do you know I brought you here?"** The nine-tails mused

"Who else could have? I was alone in that field," Natsu said with a frown

" **How do you** **know you were alone**?" the fox asked curious with how sure the boy was

"I can always tell especially when I can't feel the chakra of others or other people' emotions," Natsu said sullenly, his hands balled into fists

" **I see, what was your' question again?** " the Kyuubi replied, " _ **It seems he is able to access some of my abilities already**_ ,"

"Did you attack the village twelve years ago?" Natsu asked now that the shock had faded and most of his initial questions were answered

" **I guess,"** the Kitsune muttered, a look of confusion and guilt crossing his face

Natsu noticed the look feeling the shift in the creature' emotions before a look of realization crossed his face

The great fox spirit noticed the look and returned with a look of curiosity

"What do you mean 'I guess'?" Natsu asked with a mixture of curiosity and irritation

" **I mean I can't remember attacking your village all I remember is seeing those twice damned Sharringan eyes and then everything went black when I came to my senses I was being sealed into you,"** The Nine-Tails said still confused by the memories of that night

" _The official history of that night never said why the Demon Fox attacked or where it had been before that, plus I don't feel any deceit coming from him,"_ Natsu thought

"Hey Fox!" Natsu called

" **What brat?"** The Demon Fox answered

"Where are we?" Natsu asked his voice becoming more confident as he felt the great fox relax

" **We are in your' mind this place is your inner most subconscious giving form to the sealing matrix on your' stomach,"** the Fox spirit said flatly

"So, you're the reason the village hates me at least if this is my mind and you're sealed within me meaning I'm passed out in the field. But if you're sealed inside of me then why does the village also hate Naruto he is way nicer than me to everyone?" Natsu asked

" **Because boy, I am only the Yin half of what you know as the Kitsune,"** The Nine-Tails responded bitterly

" **The same night I was sealed in you your parents sealed my Yang half into your' brother which is why the village hates you both!"** The Kitsune sneered

"So half of you is sealed within each of us… WAIT! MY PARENTS!" Natsu shouted in astonishment as the beast' words registered

" **Oh, that's right those foolish villagers were forbidden from telling you anything about your birth, your parents, or the power sealed within you."** The Nine-Tails said slight irritation in his voice and a look of mischief on his face

"Will you tell me?" Natsu asked walking closer to the cage with hope evident in his eyes

" **Tell you what?"** The demon fox teased

"Tell me what happened to my parents! What happened twelve years ago?" Natsu asked with a pained look on his face

" **You have impressed me boy!"** the Kitsune snarled neutrally

" **If you think you can handle the tale I will tell you what I know of that fateful night twelve years ago!"** the Nine-Tails said telling Natsu about his origins

 **~Meanwhile with Naruto~**

Naruto was walking home a sad look across his face. He had failed his brother andhimself by not doing a simple Kawarimi no Jutsu. Oddly enough ever since Natsu had found that tag Naruto could perform the jutsu perfectly.

" _Why am I such a loser_!" Naruto shouted in his mind, " _I couldn't even do a simple_ _Kawarimi no Jutsu_ _and where the hell did that tag even come from?_!"

As he continued home Naruto saw a girl running into the back alleys of the village.

She was wearing a thick tan jacket, purple almost black ninja pants, and black shoes. Her ink blue hair and pale pupil less eyes were obvious to him. He knew her name was Hinata Hyuuga and that she was the heiress to her clan and sat behind him in class every day.

Naruto never said anything but he had noticed her watching him and following him around every now and again he wasn't sure why but he enjoyed the attention since almost everyone else in the village either ignored him or tried to beat him to death save his few precious people. As he was about to run after her he noticed a group of three genin chasing after the Hyuuga heiress, dark smirks on their faces. Realizing what was happening to her Naruto jumped up to a nearby rooftop and began to follow the group.

 **~Hinata POV~**

It was a warm summer' day and a light breeze blew through Konohagakure. The villagers were going about their business doing as they pleased the civilians minded their shops and homes while the shinobi went around patrolling the village or returning from completing missions. While most of the village was peaceful and serene one young girl was having a hellish experience.

Hinata Hyuuga was running through the streets of Konoha with a terrified look on her face. She had short deep ink blue hair with bangs that framed the sides of her face and accentuated her pale violet pupil less eyes. She wore a thick tan jacket with a white fur lining and baggy grey ninja pants. Under the jacket she had a chainmail shirt with a black ninja shirt. She was about twelve and had yet to pass the Ninja Academy' final exam and thus become a full-fledged Genin.

The young Hyuuga heiress was currently being chased through the back alleyways of the village by a group of Genin who felt she had disrespected them.

 **~Flashback 10 Minutes~**

" _Ugh why can't I seem to get that form right"_ thought Hinata as she walked through the streets of the village trying to clear her head after another failure in her training with her father, Hiashi Hyuuga

" _Every time I try that technique my body tries to work against it! I don't understand"_ Hinata looked up to see a group of three genin who seemed to have just gotten back from a mission as their clothes were torn and they were covered in dirt

She moved out of their way so as not to disturb them but one of the Genin, Genin A, moved over just as Hinata lowered her head and purposefully bumped into her

"I-I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean to b-bump into you I thought I moved f-far enough away," Hinata said in a panic as the group turned to the young girl

"So it's our fault Ms. High and Mighty Hyuuga," said Genin A

"No, no of course not it w-was my fault!" Hinata blurted

"Too late for apologies," growled Genin B

"You don't get to get off that easily princess!" Genin B said as he lunged forward trying to grab Hinata.

"Ahh!" yelped Hinata as she ducked out of the way.

"You should learn to respect your elders you academy brat!" shouted Genin C as he threw a punch at her

Hinata used her clan' Taijutsu to deflect the punch and spin with the momentum of the attack stopping behind the group of Genin and ran as fast as she could through the back alleys of the village.

 **~End Flashback~**

Hinata panted as she rounded a corner sweat running down her face stinging her eyes.

"Heh, heh, I-heh- I think I lost them," Hinata panted as she came to a fork in the alley.

"Ha! found you!" called Genin A

Hinata turned to see the group closing in on her. Hinata ran again taking a left and then a right coming to a dead end. She turned around and standing at the entrance to the alley were the three genin their formation now cutting off all escape.

"Please I'm sorry I apologize! It was my fault I bumped into you!" Hinata pleaded but her cries fell on deaf ears as the group of genin came closer and closer to her. She felt her chest tighten with panic as her vision blurred with tears.

Then suddenly, at the last possible moment, a young boy with spikey blond hair, a wide cocky grin, cerulean blue eyes, and fox whisker markings on his face dropped down from the rooftops above.

He wore a blue T-Shirt with a white Leaf Village symbol on the back and left breast wearing an orange hoodie vest combo, a pair of dark grey cargo pants, and had on a pair of green goggles and blue sandals.

Hinata' vision slowly cleared and the feeling in her chest started to loosen as before her stood Naruto Uzumaki!

 **~Shared POV (Naruto/Hinata) ~**

The boy turned toward the young Hyuuga and said, "Hey there Hinata sorry I'm late but you know, Heroes always show up at the last moment!"

"I'll take care of these guys!" he said with a reassuring smile

"Thanks, Naruto-Kun," Hinata said wiping the tears from her eyes,

"You can do it!" she cheered her confidence soaring with Naruto' arrival

"You know it!" Naruto smirked

Naruto turned and glared at the three Genin with all his malice and anger freezing the Genin in their tracks as he began to move closer.

"What made you think you could hurt my precious people!" Naruto shouted in rage forgetting for a moment Hinata was still there

Naruto then lunged forward punching Genin A square in the jaw and before the other two Genin could register what had happened to their leader Naruto did a hand stand atop the fallen leader and did a spinning split kick to the faces of the other two Genin.

Naruto stood up and took hold of Hinata' hand pulling her with him saying, "Come on let's get out of here before those clowns wake up!"

"Right!" Hinata chirped as the two made their way through the maze of back alleys

When the two finally made it back to a more crowded portion of the street the pair suddenly realized that they were holding hands. Both blushed and turned away from each other but neither one let go.

"Sorry," Naruto muttered as he began to let go only for Hinata to grip his hand tighter and add her other hand

"No, I should be apologizing i-if I wasn't so t-terrible at my clan' Taijutsu I wouldn't have needed saving," Hinata said frustrated with herself suddenly the frustrated look was replaced with a shy smile

"Thank you, Naruto-kun you saved me from whatever those guys had in mind!" Hinata said a bright smile across her face

"I just did what anybody would have done in that situation," Naruto said his blush intensifying as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly

"Yes, but you are the one who saved me and this isn't the first time," Hinata said thinking back to that day five years ago

 **~Flashback: 5 Years back~**

Hinata was in the forest wearing a pink kimono with a yellow flower petal pattern across the garment, and was currently being beaten by a group of three boys who were only a year older than herself, her attendant nowhere in sight.

"Ha! How do like that" said one of the boys as he kicked her in the side, "You still think you're better than us?"

"You're nothing but a weakling who hides behind the name of her clan!" snickered another boy as he kicked her in the back

"Yeah, what they said!" dribbled the third obviously much dumber boy

Suddenly a young boy with spiky blonde hair and cerulean blue eyes ran up. He was wearing a black shirt with a red spiral on the front and gray shorts. "Leave her alone!" the boy shouted as he tried to punch the first boy who easily caught the punch and delivered a counter to the boy' stomach.

"Ha! How's that feel little idiot!?" the older boy asked cockily

"Like getting hit with a feather pillow," Naruto said a defiant glare pointed straight at the older boy

The two other boys had stopped beating Hinata and were laughing at Naruto' comment

"Shut up!" said the leader of the group

"And you blondie, don't think I don't know who you are." The lead boy said an insidious smirk on his face.

Naruto' eyes didn't lose their defiant look but behind the glare came a moment of sadness.

"Yeah you're the one everybody' parents say to stay away from, you're the Demon brat!" the lead boy snickered

Hinata' eyes widened as she realized the bully was right

" _But wait_ ," Hinata thought in confusion

" _If he is as evil and as mean as the adults say he is then why did he risk himself to save me? Why did he take that punch_?" Hinata thought then she heard a groan of pain.

"Ugh!" Naruto groaned as the three boys had now taken to beating him, but every time the boys knocked him down Naruto just stood up his defiant stare never ceasing

"He's crazy!" the second boy cried,

"Guys let's just get out of here before he decides to fight back!" the boy said in fear

"Yeah, he isn't worth our time," said the lead boy

"Okay," said the third much dimmer boy

With the boys gone Naruto turned around and smiled at Hinata before he asked her, "Are you Ok Hinata-Sama?" trying to be as respectful as possible to the Hyuuga heiress as he reached out to help her up.

Before she could answer a member of the Hyuuga clan appeared behind Hinata and picked her up asking, "Hinata-sama are you all right? Does anything hurt?"

"I'll be alright that boy saved me before the others could do any real damage," Hinata said pointing to Naruto who had a small grin on his face.

The Hyuuga attendant looked down at Naruto as if noticing him for the first time and at that moment the attendant let out a "Gaaaaahhhh," noise as he lifted Lady Hinata as far from the young boy as possible.

"Lady Hinata you are never to speak to that boy ever again!" shouted the attendant, "Do you understand?

"But why? He is the one who saved me!" Hinata asked

"He may have been the one who sent those boys to hurt you just to 'save you'," the attendant said with air quotes around the last part

Hinata looked from her attendant to the boy confused before her attendant gave her a hard glare

"I understand," Hinata said in a defeated tone, " _I'm sorry Naruto-kun_ ,"

"Good" the attendant smiled as he and Hinata walked away

As they walked Hinata turned back to look at the now crestfallen Naruto and she waved back smiling at him with kindness. Naruto saw this and seemed to understand.

" _So she only said that for the attendant_?" Naruto thought smiling, _"Well, I guess that means one person in this village isn't crazy."_

 **~End Flashback~**

"Oh yeah," Naruto said after Hinata reminded him, "I thought those genin back there looked familiar." Naruto said

"Well," Hinata said, "will you let me th-thank you properly this time, with a nice lunch?" Hinata asked a deep blush across her face

"That sounds great!" Naruto cheered

Hinata' blush disappeared and in its' place grew a kind smile.

"Great! Where would you like to go?" Hinata asked wanting to make sure he enjoyed his 'Thank you'

"Well there is only one place we can go," Naruto said a slight frown on his face.

He wanted to be able to go somewhere Hinata might like but every restaurant owner in town kicked him out on sight or tried to hit him with a broom when he got too close to their restaurant. Everyone except them.

"Why is that?" Hinata asked innocently immediately regretting it as she saw the sadness on Naruto' face

"I don't know, the others all just hate me but old man Ichiraku always lets me eat and he doesn't even make me hide or anything he just lets me sit on a stool and eat my ramen," Naruto said with a smile on his face

"Oh you mean the Ichiraku Ramen shop?" Hinata asked "I've always wanted to go there but my clan wouldn't let me leave the compound just for a meal out,"

"Well then it's settled we'll go get some Ichiraku Ramen my treat!" Naruto said

"Oh no," Hinata said "I'm supposed to be thanking you so it's my treat,"

"How about this? We'll each pay for our own ramen but eat it together, like a date," Naruto said mumbling the last part as a blush creeping across his face

"O-okay," Hinata said blushing

The two academy students walked to Ichiraku Ramen holding hands and chatting the whole way.

"Naruto! Welcome have a seat, and I see you brought a little girlfriend," Ichiraku teased seeing Naruto and Hinata walk in

"She's not my girlfriend!" Naruto defended, "at least not yet," he mumbled

At that last part Hinata' blush intensified and her entire face became as red as the Hokage' house. Her mind racing as she thought over and over," Naruto _wants me to be his girlfriend!?"_

"Well what'll it be you two?" Ayame, Ichiraku' daughter asked

"Whatever Naruto is having," Hinata said still blushing

"I'll have the miso ramen with barbecued pork," said Naruto ordering his usual bowl.

The two of them started chatting about themselves. Hinata told Naruto about her problem with her form and how she couldn't figure out what was wrong and Naruto told her about what happened with his test and how Natsu had decided not to take his own Jutsu test so as not to leave Naruto behind.

"You should talk to your' father and other clan members about your' forms maybe you're not the first Hyuuga with this problem," Naruto said thoughtfully

"Wow that's a great Idea Naruto-kun and you should train harder." Hinata said with some dry sarcasm

"I do train hard every day for hours on end in and out of the academy!" Naruto sighed in frustration

"I know, that's why I said it. You see I have talked to some other clan members and none of them have any idea what's wrong and my father just shuts down when I talk about it," Hinata said with a small smile which turned into a sad look

"Sorry for bringing that up maybe you should ask Iruka-sensei tomorrow at the academy," Naruto said with a reassuring smile trying to cheer the dejected girl up

"It couldn't hurt thanks Naruto-kun," Hinata said with sweet smile

"Just don't talk to Mizuki-sensei about it," Naruto said his face becoming serious

"What, Why?" Hinata asked perplexed by the sudden change in Naruto

"We found this weird tag on my back after we left the test, and one of the Chunin instructors said it was a dud of a smoke bomb but I think it was the reason I couldn't do the Kawarimi no Jutsu for the test and I know that Mizuki-sensei placed it on my back" Naruto said coldly

"How do you know that it was Mizuki-sensei or that it was the reason you failed?" Hinata asked incredulously

"Before the Kawarimi no Jutsu I performed a perfect Henge no Jutsu after which Mizuki sensei patted me on the back where Natsu found the tag," Naruto with cold rage

"That bastard! How could he get away with that?" Hinata growled

"We were alone he was the only proctor but don't worry when we take our tests for real, in two years, We. Will. Make. Him. Pay," Naruto said with a menacing chuckle

Right then Ichiraku and Ayame placed the couple' order in front of them and said together, "Enjoy your' food you two," wide smiles on both their faces

"Mmm, This is incredible!" Hinata said happily as she dug into her ramen

"I know right!" said Naruto glad she was enjoying herself

After they finished their food and payed for their meals they left walking toward the Hyuuga clan compound holding hands and chatting the entire time

"So, Naruto, not to be rude, but how were you so good fighting those three guys?" Hinata asked

"I honestly don't know," Naruto said the two stopping while he focused on that moment

"I saw you being pulled into that alley and suddenly everything clicked and I felt a surge of emotions run through me. I climbed up a wall and ran after you four when I caught up to you I couldn't help but jump down and then, on pure instinct, I knocked those three out like a light," Naruto said, trying his best to explain

"Well whatever the case, thank you," Hinata said grabbing hold of his arm and pulling him close before they made continued on to the Hyuuga compound

As the walls of the compound came into view Hinata stopped and looking down before casting a worried look at Naruto who turned to her and asked, "What's wrong Hinata-chan?"

"Nothing, I-I just wanted to thank y-you again for saving me and the great date," Hinata said with a blush

"Oh that's all? Like I said before I only did what…" but Naruto didn't have a chance to finish that sentence as Hinata had leaned in and kissed him

At first, he was surprised utterly shocked even but he quickly reciprocated wrapping one arm around her waist and placing his free hand on the back of her head pulling her closer as he began to kiss back.

The two, lost track of time as the kiss deepened their worries and insecurities melting away. Their feelings for one another becoming stronger as the kiss intensified.

As the two parted, panting and holding each other, they stared into each other' eyes his blue ones into her violet ones and vice versa'.

"Wow," Naruto said in surprise the feeling and taste of her lips still on his

"Yeah," Hinata said she still couldn't believe the fireworks she felt, "Well I-I should go now,"

"Okay, I'll see you later then?" Naruto asked hoping this would not be the last time they were together and hoping even more that this would not be the last time they kissed

"Definitely!" Hinata said with a wink as she walked away she turned back and kissed Naruto on the cheek smiling

"And we'll definitely have to do that again," she smirked a loving smile on her face as she walked away

" _Wow_!" Naruto thought lightly rubbing his cheek

"This is gonna be fun!" Naruto said with his trademark grin as he walked back home a full belly and a light heart.

 **~Back in Natsu' Mind~**

Natsu was sitting down his knees pulled up to his chin and his eyes full of tears.

The Nine-Tails looked down solemnly at the boy, having just finished explaining to Natsu what he remembered from the night he was sealed with the boy.

Natsu was still so confused and yet everything was so clear to him now. The icy stares of the villagers, the way they all treated him and his brother, the whispers they all gave whenever the boys walked by.

"Why?" Natsu whispered, "Why did they have to die?"

" **Your' mother would have died anyway after I was forced out of her,"** the Nine-Tails said, **"and the variation of the** **Eight Trigrams Seal** **your' father used to trap me within you and my Yang half within your' brother trapped his soul within the belly of the Shinigami and was the only one that would ensure I wouldn't kill you and take over,"** the Nine-Tails said a little annoyed at the Fourth Hokage and his seal

Natsu still sat there sobbing softly from the information absorbing it slowly

As he came to terms with what happened Natsu looked up and asked the Demon fox, "Why did the third hokage not tell us what happened? Why did he keep our parent' identities a secret?" Natsu asked in confusion

" **He was probably waiting for the right time to explain what you are and he kept your' parents a secret to protect the village from scrutiny** **and you from their thousands of enemies including Iwagakure** ," stated the Nine-Tails flatly

"I guess that makes sense but in your whole story I didn't hear one thing," Natsu said walking even closer to the bars

" **And what would that be, boy?"** the Nine-Tails asked curiosity in his voice and a passing softness in his eyes

Natsu defied logic reaching between the bars of the cage and placed his hand onto the paw of the Nine-Tails, and said "You never did anything wrong in that story even if you attacked the village, like you said that Uchiha had you under his control,"

The Nine-Tails looked at the boy, who in the last hour had learned how his parents died, why the world hated him, and had become so comfortable with the fox he was touching him, and he couldn't find a reason to hate him.

The boy never asked to be born that day, to the Yondaime and his wife. Nor did he wish for this power or the responsibility of being the Kyuubi' jailer.

The Nine-Tails wanted to be angry and yell at the boy but, as he scowled down at the boy, the Kyuubi saw something even stranger. Natsu was smiling up at him with and understanding look on his face and an aura of calm coming off him.

Over the years, he had watched the boy struggle against the hatred of the village and care for his brother. He had seen the boys persevere through it all and retain their sanity by some miracle even he couldn't fathom. The fox had grown fond of the boy and couldn't bring himself to be upset and instead became even more impressed by his courage, and understanding.

" **I guess you're right bo…Natsu** ," the Nine-Tails said with a small smirk on his face

" **I am Kurama, the Nine-Tailed fox I give you permission to use my name Don't forget it!"** the now named Kurama said while Natsu nodded up at him somehow understanding the honor of the gesture

" **I will give you one other gift,"** Kurama said with a grin sitting up

Kurama began to weave hand signs and chanting something Natsu couldn't understand. Kurama' chakra began to build around him and slowly began to concentrate itself around his eyes. He opened them causing Natsu to gasp. The once blood red irises were now a shimmering gold glowing with power.

" **This is a Dojutsu, called 'Kitsunegan' it allows you many abilities and is only available to the true Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi the other tailed beasts have similarly incredible powers that they can grant to their vessels,"** Kurama explained as his eyes began to glow more intensely as he raised his hands pointing them towards Natsu

" **And like those powers I can bestow this Dojutsu unto you Natsu, take it and surpass the hatred of those foolish villagers!"** Kurama shouted as golden chakra shot from him into Natsu' eyes

 **~Real World~**

"Gah!" Natsu shouted in pain his eyes burning

As the pain subsided Natsu began looking around blinking, his eyes glowing softly and his irises becoming the same golden color Kurama-yin' had been

When Natsu finally got a look around he noticed that he was back by the tree in the training field and that almost no time had passed. As he looked around Natsu noticed that he could somehow see more.

" **This is the power of the 'Kitsunegan',"** Kurama-yin explained,

" **These eyes let you master any Yin/Yang release Ninjutsu , cast and break Genjutsu without a hand sign, copy and master Taijutsu, or Bukijutsu, you have seen, and master any Elemental Ninjutsu you have an elemental affinity for, and learn Fuinjutsu, just by seeing any of them done or by reading from scrolls. You can also break sealing barriers and see Chakra in all it' forms."**

"That sounds amazing!" Natsu said in joy "Wait how come I can hear you outside that place?"

" **Keep it down kid just think and I will hear you, as for your' question, we met, before you didn't know I was there so you couldn't until now"** Kuramasaid **, "and this power is great and like you may have noticed takes time for your eyes to adjust to. It will take you about a year, maybe more, to fully master them and until then if you use them for more than three hours a day you will strain your eyes."**

" _Okay_ ," Natsu thought a little disappointed at his apparent frailty

" **It would take most vessels over five years to gain this power after our meeting, let alone master this,"** Kurama said reassuring the boy **"You're not weak you're just young."**

" _So you've been watching me and Naruto train for the last few years, right_?" Natsu asked a look of concentration on his face

" **Yes,"** Kurama said, **"Why?"**

" _Well do you have any ideas as to what we could do to make our training more beneficial?"_ Natsu asked the fox spirit

" **There isn't much you boys can do to better your' training,"** Kuramasaidwithslightanger in his voice **,**

" **With my chakra sealed within you both you naturally have a much harder time with chakra control. That is all you can do to better your training I can show you a few types of chakra control exercises such as: The tree climbing exercise, where you focus chakra in the soles of your feet and walk up the side of the tree(or any flat solid surface) and climb as high as you can until you can reach the tree top in one go; The water walking exercise, in which you vary the flow of chakra from your feet to keep yourself steady on the shifting surface of the water; then there is a pretty basic one you can do whenever you just use chakra to keep a leaf stuck to a specific spot on your forehead, you can mix this with the other exercises for better results. I also think you should start using training weights and request that the scar face help you fix your' Taijutsu stances until you can learn a better style of Taijutsu than the basic Academy Taijutsu"** Kuramaexplained with a scholarly tone delving through the boy' memories

" _Thanks for the advice Kurama-yin and the technique training, but why the training weights_?" Natsu asked a weirded out look on his face

" **You're welcome and the weights are to build up your stamina and strength gradually you should wear them under your clothes all the time gradually increasing the weight as you get used to it"**

Natsu nodded absorbing the advice before Kurama-yin answered his other question

" **As for your' current Taijutsu, I believe that silver haired bastard has been sabotaging your' training and your' Shurikenjutsu since you started," Kurama-yin explained with barely concealed, yet righteous, fury**

" _Okay Kurama-yin, Thanks_!" Natsu said smiling,

" _Hey can you show me any other Jutsu Kurama-yin?_ " Natsu asked

" **I can show you one or two for now,"** Kurama-yin said a bemused smirk on his face as Natsu returned to his mindscape for the lesson,

" **This first one is** **Shunshin no Jutsu** **, it's a jutsu that lets you traverse distances quickly based on the amount of chakra you use watch,"** Kurama-yin said as he made the ram hand sign and Shunshined over to the other side of the cage leaving behind a cloud of dust

"Cool!" shouted Natsu copying the Jutsu with his Kitsunegan

Natsu tried it out a few times Shunshining throughout his mindscape

"So what's the other one?" Natsu asked excitement shining brightly in his eyes

" **All right, all right this is a jutsu your' father used against me,"** said Kurama-yin enjoyingthelook of wonder on Natsu' face

" **This one's called the Shadow Clone Jutsu it allows you to create a solid clone of yourself, and if the clone is defeated or dispelled all the memories and knowledge the clone acquired but you didn't is transferred to you right after,"** Kurama-yin said as he showed Natsu the hand sign for the Jutsu and suddenly in a puff of white smoke a second Kurama appeared.

"Incredible!" Natsu said in astonishment as he used the jutsu and created twenty clones accidentally,

"How did I make so many clones?" Natsu asked

" **You must have used more chakra than I did thus making more clones,"** Kurama-yin said as he pondered the situation,

" **Like I said you and your' brother need some chakra control training and that tag you guys found doesn't help your chance any."**

"I guess your right Kurama-yin, thanks again," Natsu said with a sour face turning into a small smile

Kurama-yin simply nodded, as Natsu left the mindscape, still not used to being thanked for anything

Natsu opened his eyes having left his mindscape and began making his way to the Hokage' compound to ask him for help in getting the training weights he would need to improve his and Naruto' training.

When suddenly he remembered, he could use the Shunshin no Jutsu, so he made the ram hand sign and Shunshined over to the Hokage' compound appearing inside the Hokage' office.

"Natsu what are you doing here? and How did you get in here?!" asked the Hokage in surprise as the young red-headed academy student suddenly appeared in the middle of the spacious office

"Well I learned the Shunshin from a book in the library," Natsu lied not wanting to tell the Hokage about Kurama-yin teaching him

"How? With skills like that you should have easily passed that Jutsu test today and become a Genin!" the Hokage said his voice raised

"And leave Naruto behind in the process to face all those kids in class, the teachers who hate us, and the bastards who put shit like this on him!" Natsu shouted pulling up the chakra inhibiting tag

The Hokage looked down at the tag his eyes widening in surprise as he realized what it was and his demeanor darkening

" _Who could have put this on Naruto? Is this how far they are willing to go_?" the Hokage thought as he stared down at the tag in disgust and rage

"Natsu I'm so sorry that this happened to Naruto," the Hokage said in an apologetic tone

"And I'm sorry for yelling at you I completely understand why you decided to not take the test," said the Hokage

"I forgive you Jiji and I don't blame you for that tag or the hate that put it on Naruto' back," Natsu said with a smile but was clearly upset by the whole thing

Natsu took back the tag and looked at it with distain, "I'm keeping this to prank the bastard, any objection?"

Hiruzen looked at the boy sternly for a moment seeing an equally fierce look in the boy' eyes, "Fine, but nothing to horrendous,"

"It will be fair and humiliating," Natsu said with an evil smirk

"I do need some help with something though if you can," Natsu said with a thoughtful gesture

"Yes, yes of course Natsu. What is it you need?" Hiruzen asked feeling relieved at the chance to help the boy after such a bad experience

"Well I need some training weights for the shins, forearms, and chest for me and Naruto to better our training, but none of the merchants will ever sell me anything except at the grocery store and then it's usually rotten or close to it" said Natsu with a little sadness as he looked at the Hokage

Hiruzen looked at the boy with pity for a moment before an idea came to him, "Why don't you use the Henge no Jutsu?"

"Thanks Sarutobi-Sensei," Natsu said a wide grin on his face, "I never thought of that!"

"Well I gotta go get some food and start dinner for Naruto and I, Thanks again!" Natsu said as he left to buy ingredients and the training weights

 **~Time Skip 1 hour later~**

Naruto walked into his apartment a wide grin on his face as he chuckled lightly to himself unable to contain his joy. When he got to the door he could smell dinner and his stomach suddenly growled. Naruto walked in and smiled seeing an assortment of fresh food on the table

"Wow, where did you get all the fresh stuff?" Naruto asked in wonderment

"Jiji gave me the idea to use the Henge no Jutsu to buy stuff in town and so I got us some fresh food at next to nothing and even got us some training weights!" Natsu said happily coming out of the rest room with a plain white apron, over his normal clothes

"Cool! Why didn't we do that before?" Naruto asked

"I have no idea," Natsu chuckled sheepishly

"You sound happier than when I left, what's up?" Natsu asked plating some food for Naruto

"Well something amazing happened on my way home today!" Naruto said excitedly

"You'll have to tell me all about it while we eat now go wash up for dinner," Natsu said as he began to plate the food and set the table.

As the brothers ate Naruto told Natsu about how he had saved Hinata and their subsequent date and of course about the kiss they shared. Natsu was amazed at what his brother had done in the last couple hours.

Natsu had decided while he prepared dinner that he wouldn't tell Naruto about Kurama or their parents not until Naruto and him graduated to be sure Naruto could handle it. He knew Naruto would be angry but he hoped he would understand one day.

"Well I'm glad your day got better and I'm very proud of you for what you did and for connecting with someone on such a level. Mom and Dad would be too I just know it," Natsu said with a small smile and a glint of sadness in his eyes, " _Please forgive me Naruto_ ,"

"Bro what's wrong? You seem agitated about something," Naruto questioned seeing the worried look on his brother' face while he cleared the dinner dishes

"Oh, it's nothing Naruto just a bit upset about what happened today," Natsu said, but Naruto could tell his brother was hiding something.

"Don't give me that crap Natsu!" Naruto shouted his happy mood all but gone and replaced by a hurt expression,

"We can't start hiding stuff from each other even if you think I can't handle it or that it may hurt me, you have to tell me!" Naruto shouted as he began to tear up

Seeing his brothers tearful face Natsu relented his stomach beginning to churn and twist as the guilt became too much, "Fine! I give up I'll tell you what I know," Natsu said hoping to Kami that Naruto was ready

"I guess I couldn't see you as anything but my younger brother and not as the Ninja to be I know you are," Natsu said in defeat

"I forgive you now, tell me what you know!" Naruto said with a light growl

Natsu explained what had happened to him that day telling Naruto what the tag really was, why the village hated them, the events of that night, what was sealed within them, and finally the identity of their parents, even showing him the Kitsunegan.

Natsu looked at his brother who had begun to cry as Natsu spoke the tears were in full swing and Naruto didn't show signs of stopping anytime soon. Natsu reached forward and pulled his brother into a hug trying to calm him down and stop his tears.

"So they died protecting the village and sealing uhh…" Naruto began

"Kurama," Natsu finished

"Right, so they sealed Kurama inside of us putting the Yin half in you and the Yang half in me, correct?" Naruto asked

"Yeah, so are you okay?" Natsu asked

"I will be Hinata will definitely help with it, but wow," Naruto said a look of disbelief,

"So, that tag was made by Mizuki-teme to inhibit my chakra control and thus make me fail two thirds of the exam?" Naruto said still in shock

"Yeah, I'm not sure why he did it but still," Natsu said shrugging his shoulders before he gained a malicious smirk "We'll get him back for this shit though,"

"So when will I be able to talk with Kurama-Yang?" asked Naruto

"I'm not sure I mean I had to have a mental breakdown for Kurama-yin' consciousness to reach mine so I don't know. What do you think Kurama-Yin?" Natsu asked

" **I believe that we could show Naruto my other half through a bit of meditation,"** Kurama-Yin growled

"Well that should be simple enough," Natsu chirped a little

"What how can we?" Naruto asked excitedly

"We need to meditate and get you into your subconscious," Natsu said simply

"UGH!" Naruto whined, "I hate meditation it's so boring

"Don't worry because me and Kurama-Yin will help make it go faster by piercing into your' mind," Natsu said matter-o-factly

"Well then Let's do this!" Naruto shouted his worries dampened by the impending goal

The brothers sat down in the lotus position and began to meditate. No one could have seen that as they sat there meditating their chakra began to connect and Natsu and Naruto entered the younger brother' subconscious.

 **~Naruto' Mindscape~**

When the boys opened their eyes, they were in a hallway that looked like an underground sewer tunnel with leaking and rusty pipes along the walls and the roof. There were a few inches of water on the floor throughout the compound with more dripping down every second.

" **Go forward down this hall it's the first left up ahead,"** Kurama **-** Yin said to Natsu who lead Naruto down the hall.

When they got into the chamber they saw an open room with two torches on either side of a large cage door, much like the one in Natsu' mindscape. From inside the cage Naruto and Natsu could sense a huge amount of malice.

Natsu pushed Naruto forward saying, "Show him your courage and he will help you like Kurama-Yin did for me,"

Naruto gulped and turned with a nod toward the cage door. He walked forward with slight trepidation and asked, "A-Are you Kurama-Yang?"

Suddenly the great fox thrust his claws between the bars of his cage, almost cutting into Naruto, who fell back in surprise after dodging the attack

"What the hell you stupid fox!?" Naruto shouted

" **Who gave you the right to call me by my name, boy?"** Kurama-Yang growled with barely restrained fury

"I did," said Natsu looking up into the eyes of the great fox, his own shining with the Kitsunegan

Kurama stared down at the red-haired boy, his eyes filled with malice, until he sensed something in the boy,

" **To hold those eyes and to know that name are the two greatest honors either of us can bestow upon a person.** " Kurama-Yang growled almost impressed

"I understand and because of that I hope you will bestow the same upon your' host, my brother," Natsu said calmly, his Kitsunegan glowing brighter

Kurama-yang looked down at the red-haired Jinchuriki before his gaze shifted to the almost identical blonde next to him

" **You, boy,"** Kurama-Yang snapped at Naruto

"Yes," Naruto yelped slightly

" **You and your brother are not that far apart in terms of strength and skill, Correct?"** Kurama-Yang asked Naruto

"That's right," Naruto said, confused by the question

" **Do you both swear by the same code, hold the same Nindo**?" Kurama-yang continued

"Yes," Naruto said with confidence

" **In that case, you are just as worthy as your brother, although you lack respect, I will allow you to use my name and allow you to use my chakra and the Kitsunegan,"** Kurama-Yang growled sitting up and weaving a hand-signs while chanting something neither boy could understand.

A few moments later Kurama Yang opened his eyes and released a cloud of blood-red chakra toward Naruto who reeled back from the searing pain of the Kitsunegan activating

When Naruto opened his eyes, he looked around and saw that he and his brother were both back in their living room and he then noticed that his brother was concealed in a blue veil, his features still visible but clouded, the veil dropped as the Dojutsu faded

Natsu looked at Naruto in astonishment. Instead of the golden irises Natsu' Kitsunegan bestowed, Naruto had shimmering crimson eyes with the same black vertical slit. His eyes exuded demonic power and yet he somehow retained his normal aura around him

"Incredible!" Naruto said Natsu nodding the entire time

" **You must be careful when using this power your' limit is three hours a day until you master it which will take about a year,"** Kurama Yang said **, "Like with your' brother it is a matter of age not frailty as your efforts earlier today have proven"**

"Thank you Kurama-Yang and you Natsu. I know you were trying to protect me but don't try to keep anything from me again!" Naruto said growling the last part

"I get it! I won't keep secrets from you again but I won't stop protecting you either" Natsu said with his hands up in a defensive manner before he crossed his arms in front of his chest

" Oh, and we're gonna start training and studying even harder from now on. I bought us some training weights so we can build or strength, speed, and endurance. They're 50 kilos in total each and we will add weight. We won't fail next time!" Natsu said fire burning behind his eyes as he began to cackle maniacally.

" _This isn't going to end well for me is it,"_ Naruto thought,

" **Nope** " Kurama Yang answered

 **Hey thanks guys whoa this was a long chapter hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. See you next time when the boys…**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey Guys, I'm baaaaaack! Thank you all for the few reviews and the numerous views! Knowing I've made anyone happy with my story or even that you guys like it has given me a huge boost in confidence, Thanks for that! This is the first chapter that goes into the actual plot of the Naruto anime, as in actual episode 1. Hope you enjoy! And please comment on what you like or don't like I! Want! Feedback!**

 **UPDATED!**

 **Chapter 3: Graduation Day!**

It has been two years since Natsu and Naruto awakened as Jinchuriki and gained their Dojutsu, the Kitsunegan. They trained hard every day since their attempt at early graduation. They were sure that they would pass this year no matter what those bastard Chunin teachers tried!

They had both grown up quite a bit thanks to the advice of Kurama they were both now about 1.7 meters and weighed about 68 kilograms now. Both were major improvements from their malnourished states.

Natsu had grown his hair out so it just passed his shoulders and wore it in a single high-set ponytail. He wore an open steel grey jacket with bright red highlights on his shoulder and the zipper with the Uzumaki clan symbol on the back, a red T-Shirt with a chainmail undershirt, a pair of black ninja pants, the cuffs tied down with white tape. A leg holster on his right thigh and a tool pouch on his right hip with a pair of black sandals, and had white wrappings on his forearms with black, fingerless, gloves that had metal plates on the back of the hands.

Naruto' hair still retained it' spiky nature shooting off in random directions. He wore a closed bright orange jacket with blue highlights on the shoulders and zipper with the Uzumaki clan symbol on the back in red and a pair of bright orange pants. A kunai holster on his right thigh and a pouch on his right hip. He had a pair of blue sandals, and a pair of green google on his head.

The boys also wore colored contacts to hide their Dojutsu, which they now used as often as possible. Natsu' were a deep onyx blue while Naruto's were a cerulean blue. They wore them whether they were going to use their Dojutsu or not, lest they scare some civilian, and to hide the rare skill.

They were making their way to the Konoha Ninja Academy and this time nothing would stop them from passing! They were smarter, faster, and stronger than they were back then, and with their Dojutsu they wouldn't be stopped by some Inhibitor tag again.

"All right Today's the Day!" Naruto cheered, "We're both going to pass this time!"

"You know it Naruto!" Natsu said with a confident smile and a determined look in his eyes while he clenched his fist

 **~Ninja Academy: Room 201: Iruka' Class~**

As the boys took their seats, in the top left of the class. The two looked around at their classmates taking note of the more eccentric, and thus more powerful classmates.

They noticed some of the nicer academy students Shikamaru Nara and Choji Akamichi, neither of which had changed much in the last two years.

Shikamaru now wore a chainmail shirt with a grey jacket that reached down to his midriff the jacket had olive green trim and blue circle symbols with a vertical line down the middle, a pair of brown pants that reached down past his knees. A weapons holster on his right calf and a pouch on the back-right of his waist, and blue sandals.

Choji was wearing a green over shirt, with a yellow shirt that had his family' crest on the shirt, a pair of brown shorts with a leg holster on his right thigh and pouch on his right hip, With wrapping on his hands and up to his elbow and on his legs from his knees down, a white scarf, and blue sandals. The two were sitting together near the middle of the room eating some chips.

Sitting towards the centre of the room was Shino Aburame, of the bug jar clan. He wore a large gray coat with a collar that covered the lower half of his face, he had on a pair of black circular lensed sunglasses which completely hid his eyes, brown tall spikey hair, a pair of brown pants that reached down past his knees with a weapons holster on his right thigh and a pouch on his right hip. He was usually quiet and if he ever spoke he was neutral toward the brothers.

The boy sitting on Shino' left was another story. Kiba Inuzuka, of the dog trainer clan, was a very obnoxious and loud almost feral boy. He wore a dark grey coat with a black fur lining on the edges of the hood and sleeves, a pair of black pants that reached past his knees with a right-side weapons holster and pouch. He also had a small white puppy on his head named Akamaru. Kiba looked up toward the Uzumaki brothers and smirked.

"Ha! You guys think you have a chance of graduating?" Kiba asked sarcastically

"You dobes couldn't Jutsu your' way out of a paper bag!" Kiba jeered Akamaru barking in agreement

The brothers looked at him dryly before rolling their eyes and returning to their conversation ignoring the Inuzuka, whose face turned red in anger before he snapped

"Hey did you hear me!?" Kiba called Akamaru barking to emphasize his master' comment.

"Oh! That was you?" Natsu asked in sarcastic shock

"I thought it was that pup on your head yapping away," Natsu said with a devilish smirk on his face

"Why you!" Kiba shouted as he made to attack Natsu before Shino stopped him

"You started the insults, so, don't get mad when you're out talked just calm down and wait for the teachers to start the test," Shino said in his usual monotone with an edge of hostility

"Fine," Kiba muttered not wanting to fight Shino

Akamaru whined as he backed down settling on his master' head.

Right then Hinata walked in and sat next to Naruto smiling. She was wearing her usual attire but now had a weapon holster and pouch on her right side.

"Morning Naruto-kun," She said with a loving smile as she sat down and snuggled into his chest with a small sweet smile

"Natsu," she said kindly

"Morning," said Natsu

Naruto then leaned in and gave Hinata a chaste kiss not caring for the stunned looks of the class below them

"Good Morning, my Hime," he said warmly bringing a light blush to her face

The couple sat there holding hands talking while Natsu smiled happily at the couple. When he had first found out about the relationship he was proud that his brother had found someone who loved him unconditionally. The two were a great influence on each other. Naruto gave Hinata confidence, helping her lose her stutter and shyness, while Hinata balanced out Naruto' rambunctious nature during study sessions or training.

" _When will I be that happy_?" Natsu thought with a sigh looking up at the ceiling in deep thought

"Don't worry bro, you'll find someone and you'll make each other just as happy," Naruto said patting Natsu on the back with a kind smile

"Yeah, Natsu, any girl would be lucky to have you," Hinata said sweetly trying to cheer up the depressed Uzumaki

"Thanks guys, guess I did get some of Mom' impatience after all," Natsu said with a small smile rubbing the back of his head sheepishly

Right around then a pair of girls ran in shouting how they had won against the other, and Natsu perked up a bit. These two were the biggest Uchiha fangirls in the entire class.

Sakura Haruno, heiress to the Banshee, she had long pink hair down past her shoulders and bangs which framed her face. She was wearing a red dress with short sleeves with white trim and white circles on both her shoulders and back with vertical slits up both sides to her waist. She had on a pair of form-fitting black shorts underneath that reached her knees and a weapons holster on her right thigh with a pouch on her right hip.

The other girl was Ino Yamanaka, heiress of the Mind Walker clan. She had long blonde hair worn in a ponytail with one long bang that framed the left side of her face. She had wrappings around her torso, waist, and legs down to her knees over that she had a purple blouse with a large collar, that didn't cover any of her face, with three metal rings in it. She had a weapons holster on her right thigh and a pouch on her right hip, and a pair of blue sandals.

Natsu would never admit it, though it was completely obvious to the world, he had a crush on Ino, always being entranced by her piercing yet kind teal eyes

"Hey Ino!" shouted Natsu from his seat waving at the blonde

"What do you want!" Ino shouted back still in a bad mood from arguing with Sakura

"Nothing just wanted to say 'hello'," Natsu said dejectedly with a slight pout

Ino was about to retort when she noticed a gloomy boy in the opposite corner and calmed down before running over to the bane of almost every academy male' existence, Sasuke Uchiha, heir of the Sharringan. He had dark black hair, a dark blue shirt with a large collar that didn't obstruct his face and had the Uchiha symbol on the back, white knee length shorts with a leg holster and pouch on his right side and blue sandals.

Ino smiled up at him while Sakura kept yelling about beating Ino to class

"Hello Sasuke-kun," Ino said in a sing-song voice,

"Are you as nervous about this test today as I am?" she asked trying to get him to notice her by bending forward and emphasizing her words with a warm smile

"If you're nervous that just means you haven't focused enough on your' training," Sasuke said coldly his words etched with annoyance at the blonde who always talked his ear off and never left him alone. Sasuke hated having his fangirls and only put up with them to, one day, restore his great clan.

" _Yikes_ , _someone's in a bad mood, but that makes him even hotter_!" she squealed in her mind,

" _That brooding look, those cold eyes, that stoic face, Oh Sasuke is just so perfect!"_ Ino thought as she took a seat above him, Sakura having sat down a few seats below Sasuke

At that moment two figures came in Iruka, wearing the normal Chunin uniform of a blue ninja shirt and pants with a green flak jacket his hair was in its' usual spikey ponytail and had a scar across his face horizontally, wearing his headband normally.

And Mizuki, the Bastard King, a Chunin with white blue hair, wearing the usual Chunin uniform and having his head band on like a bandana.

The Chunin-sensei looked out over the students both smiling until Mizuki saw the Uzumaki brothers. For the briefest of moments, his eyes turned to daggers and his entire demeanour turned cold, which was more than enough time for the brothers to register it, especially Natsu with his basic empathetic sensory skills.

"Okay everyone it is now time for the written exam so will you all spread out and take your seats," Iruka ordered lightly receiving a collective groan from most of the class. Save for Sasuke, Shino, Naruto, Hinata, and Natsu who were all confident that they would pass and, the napping form of Shikamaru.

Iruka and Mizuki began passing out the tests and had the students begin. An hour later the test was over and Iruka was grading the exams.

Mizuki clapped his hands loudly, "While Iruka-sensei is grading your written tests we'll go out and begin your' Taijutsu exams on the practice field," Mizuki said with a slight smile.

When the students and Mizuki got outside Mizuki said, "Okay your Taijutsu test will be a spar against me you must last two minutes or send me from the ring and then your' Shuriken Jutsu test," Mizuki said in a monotone,

"Now, first up is Sasuke Uchiha!" Mizuki said calling the brooding Uchiha up, most of the Genin hopefuls were glued to the fight excited to watch the last Uchiha fight a teacher

While Sasuke prepared to fight the Taijutsu instructor several of the more confident students began chatting together

"So how do you think you did on that test, Hinata?" Naruto asked his girlfriend of two years smiling as she was hugging his right arm

"I think I passed, I mean I didn't see any I didn't know," Hinata said holding Naruto' arm tighter

"What about you?" she asked Naruto smiling

"You know I passed I studied my butt off for two years!" Naruto said a cocky grin on his face giving her a loving smile, "Thanks for all the support,"

"Of course Naruto-kun!" Hinata chirped with her kind smile

From the corner of his eye Mizuki saw this display and his mind erupted in fury,

" _The Hyuuga heiress being touched by that- that DEMON BRAT_!" Mizuki thought in rage

In his distracted state, he missed Sasuke' first move and was hit hard in the jaw by a high kick forcing him from the ring

Mizuki quickly recovered, amongst the looks of awe from the various students, and smiled at Sasuke, "Good work, Sasuke-kun you pass!"

Mizuki ran through the list of civilian students, who mostly failed against him, save for Sakura Haruno who managed to dodge his attacks for the full two minutes. After that, he began calling the clan heirs up who all passed using their family Taijutsu styles. The most impressive being Hinata' use of the Juken, which had become less stiff and much more fluid in the last two years, paralyzing Mizuki' arms for several minutes.

Mizuki' eyes narrowed as he read the next to last name on the list, "Naruto Uzumaki, step up," Mizuki said in a clipped tone

Naruto glared up at Mizuki for a moment before he turned to Hinata giving her a loving hug and then walking over to the arena circle, "I won't go easy on you, Mizuki-teme,"

"That's my line, Naruto-baka," Mizuki glared back before he lunged forward to deliver a punch to Naruto' stomach

Naruto grabbed the offending appendage at the wrist and pulled Mizuki forward, Naruto' stance widening as he lowered himself before delivering a below the belt punch, made all the more painful thanks to Mizuki' initial momentum and Naruto' unforgiving stance

"Gah!" Mizuki squeaked as he reached for his crotch in pain and falling to his knees while almost every male in the class cringed in sympathy

Naruto, without mercy, kicked Mizuki, hard, in the face forcing him back out of the arena. Most of his fellow students were frozen in shock seeing Naruto defeat Mizuki-sensei with so little effort; however, none were more shocked than Sasuke, who stood there with his eyes wide and his jaw on the floor

" _How did the Dobe become strong enough to do that_?" Sasuke wondered in outrage. He knew that Mizuki had been taking it easy on him when they were fighting. And just before his attack hit he noticed Mizuki glance off into the crowd of students. He wasn't upset by the win, a win was a win, no matter the circumstances. But now, against the Dobe, Mizuki-sensei had been focused and going at full strength almost disappearing from sight, and yet, the Dobe had tracked him, blocked him, and countered him, hard. Sasuke cringed again remembering the swift counter.

"What is going on!?" Sakura shouted, using her Hidden Art: Banshee' Wail Jutsu!

"Yeah! He must have cheated if the dead last beat Mizuki-sensei!" one of the failed civilians shouted

"Enough!" Iruka-sensei shouted from behind the crowd of students using his Hidden Art: Big Head Jutsu!

"I watched the entire fight and I watched him defeat Mizuki-sensei with pure skill, a little violent, but honourably," Iruka said scowling lightly at the students, "That said it is the job of a ninja to accomplish any task set to them, by any means necessary, meaning?"

"Meaning that even if he did cheat, which he didn't, he would have still won by Ninja standards, like when Mizuki-sensei took it easy on Sasuke-teme," Natsu said with a fox-like grin as he watched Mizuki squirm a little

"Is that true, Mizuki?" Iruka asked coldly turning to his colleague

"What! Of course not Iruka, what do you take me for?" Mizuki defended with a small sweatdrop

"I take you for someone who holds the Uchiha to the same standard as the rest of the class so I will fight against both Naruto and Sasuke to disprove any claims," Iruka said with a stern glare

"Hold on, if what you said is true and a win is a win, then shouldn't Sasuke-kun' win be counted regardless?" Sakura asked trying to defend her crush

"I guess, but what about Naruto' exam?" Iruka countered

"Huh?" was Sakura' ever intelligent response

"If I excuse the allegations against Sasuke' exam I must excuse the similar allegations against Naruto' both involving Mizuki' unfairness between the two. In fact, if even one of his exams is called into question that is grounds for me to retest everyone," Iruka said with a sly smile

" _I know their reaction against Naruto and Natsu' exams will evaporate if they have to put their own grades on the line_ ," Iruka thought while waiting for Sakura' response

Sakura turned to the other students, who were all paleing at the prospect of having to fight again, "I guess we can excuse the allegations against both exams, this time," Sakura said begrudgingly while glaring at Naruto as he walked over to his brother

"You feel better now?" Natsu asked Naruto, as he rejoined his little family

"Oh. Hell. Yes," Naruto said, emphasizing every word with a grin on his face

"Natsu Uzumaki!" Iruka called

"I'm up, wish me luck?" Natsu asked sarcastically with a wide grin

"You won't need it against that pansy ass of a Chunin," Naruto said with a cocky grin giving Natsu a high five as they passed each other

Natsu entered the ring and did several warm-up stretches,

"So, just two minutes against Mizuki-sensei?" Natsu asked nonchalantly

"Yes, you idiot two minutes against me! Can't you even remember something so simple!?" Mizuki snapped

"Yeah, I remember I just wanted to be sure it wasn't something actually difficult," Natsu said with a defiant smirk

Mizuki growled in anger while Iruka suppressed a small grin before shouting, "Start!"

Mizuki lashed out at Natsu with a kick, not wanting a repeat of the round against the other 'Demon Brat', but Natsu simply ducked under the kick and replied with a jab to the back of Mizuki' knee before coming back up behind the Chunin and landing several punches to his padded side. Mizuki dodged the fourth strike before spinning and throwing a kick which Natsu dodged under.

"Wow, I thought you would be faster than this Mizuki-sensei," Natsu taunted before dodging another punch

"Stand still and I'll show you how hard I can hit!" Mizuki shouted in rage throwing a punch for Natsu' stomach forgetting the previous match

" _Looks like you need a refresher in what happens when you try that move against an Uzumaki_ ," Natsu thought with a smirk

Natsu grabbed Mizuki at the wrist and pulled him forward, but where Naruto had delivered a single punch, Natsu delivered a chakra infused Yamazuki punch to Mizuki' exposed groan and abdomen **(A/N A double punch which is usually aimed for the face and abdomen but hit lower due to height)**

SQUELCH. Was all anybody could hear as Mizuki' testicles were pulverized by the chakra infused punch

Mizuki fell to his knees with a look of gruesome horror on his face before he fell with his face flat on the ground

Iruka ran over to Mizuki reaching down to check his pulse and sighed in relief when he felt a pulse, "Phew, he's just unconscious, Natsu what were you thinking?"

"I was thinking he could take a punch," Natsu said dryly

"Well, I guess it's an easy mistake to make and since Mizuki-sensei is incapacitated, You pass!" Iruka said proudly as a medic arrived

"Yeah!" Natsu shouted while jumping a few meters into the air with his fist up

"And since Mizuki-sensei is out cold still we will skip the Shuriken jutsu test and everyone will be given a passing grade," Iruka-said with a large smile as the students cheered loudly

Mizuki slowly recovered from his stupor before he felt the immense pain emanating from his crotch, "Ugh, what-what happened to me?"

"You had your' balls literally busted by a student during your' examination," a medical-nin said as he began to repair said appendage

"You pass today, Demon Brat, but be warned your' luck won't last," Mizuki muttered in pain, but as the students went inside he watched Naruto held Hinata close and kissed the top of her head,

" _Hhm that might work to my advantage, hahaha! hahaha_!" Mizuki thought as he began to cackle in his mind giggling menacingly before his face contorted in pain as his left testicle was returned to a facsimile of it' former self

 **~Room 201: Academy Main Building~**

The children were back in the classroom tired from their Taijutsu test so, while they rested, Iruka passed back their written exams. As everyone began to receive their exams a collective groan was heard as students saw their final grades and those who failed the Taijutsu exam began to tear up with their last hope of graduating being their Ninjutsu test. As students were called into the back room they either came back with headbands or came out looking at the ground in defeat.

"Naruto Uzumaki?" Iruka called from the doorway

"Go get 'em bro!" Natsu said

"You can definitely do this!" Hinata reassured kissing Naruto on the lips,

"for luck," she said with a small blush and a smile

"I'm coming back with a headband!" Naruto said with some finality.

Before he left Natsu checked his younger brother for any kind of tags, or other evidence of chakra flux, like the time two years ago, using his Kitsunegan

"All right you're good bro shouldn't have any problems," Natsu said to his brother who gave a thumbs up and walked into the backroom.

 **~In the backroom for the Exam~**

"Okay Naruto you must execute the three-basic academy Ninjutsu the: Kawarimi no Jutsu; the Bunshin no Jutsu; and the Henge no Jutsu," Iruka said,

"I will judge your execution of the jutsu and based on those results in conjunction with your' other exams we will award you with a Konohagakure headband making you an official Genin." Iruka said with a smile

"Okay Iruka-sensei," Naruto said with respect

"But that's only if you can… pass, _Brat_ ," Mizuki said as he walked into the room with a slight limp

"What are you doing here Mizuki? You should be resting!" Iruka said trying to help his friend

"I'm fine Iruka I can grade a simple Ninjutsu test," Mizuki said placating Iruka

"Fine, just take it easy," Iruka said before they heard a cough from Naruto

"So, can we start the test yet?" Naruto asked in a bored tone

"Yes, let's start with the Henge no Jutsu," Iruka said picking up a clipboard

"Henge no Jutsu" Naruto said with a slight nod before he transformed into the Hokage, a dog, and then a rock

"Excellent," said Iruka marking up his clipboard with Naruto' performance,

"How did you do that with no hand seals!?" Mizuki shouted pointing indignantly at Naruto

"Last year along with the Kawarimi no Jutsu, I mastered them to such an extent that I don't need seals, took me about two months of intense practice," Naruto said with a proud smile

"That's not possible even for a Chunin!" Mizuki shouted, "This must be some kind of trick!"

"Or maybe you just don't practice enough to be able to do it," Naruto taunted

"Enough, both of you, it is possible but rarely heard of," Iruka said with a stern look at both

"Now, let's see your' Kawarimi no Jutsu," Iruka said glancing down at his clipboard

When Iruka looked back up in place of Naruto he saw a grumbling Mizuki who was holding his crotch Iruka turned to the seat next to him and saw Naruto sitting there with a wide grin

"Incredible!" Iruka said with a small chuckle and a proud smile while Naruto and Mizuki switched back with another Kawarimi no Jutsu

"Iruka-Sensei I have a question about the Bunshin no Jutsu," Naruto said nervously

"What is it, Brat?" Mizuki growled out

"How many can I make, maximum?" Naruto asked worriedly

"You can make as many as you want most just make two or three but you need at least one," Iruka said knowing Naruto was worried because of his apparent inability

"Right," Naruto growled with a smile as he made the Ram sign before the room was filled with Illusionary Naruto clones

"Incredible Naruto," Iruka said stunned by the thirty-odd clones

"I guess Not like they're Kage Bunshin no Jutsu clones," Mizuki said with an air of superiority

Naruto smirked before he made a cross-shaped hand seal before growling, "Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" before thirty solid clones appeared one leaning on each of the instructors

Mizuki' eyes went wide before his jaw hit the floor while Iruka was left in awe at the display of chakra

"How did you?" Iruka began

"I saw these two guys sparring at a practice field and when I saw one use the Kage Bushin no Jutsu I just had to try it took me a week to figure it out but since then," Naruto said motioning to the clones around him

"I still can't do it sealess though, yet," Naruto lied, " _Figured that out last week only get ten from it but still_ ,"

"You pass! Naruto Uzumaki you are now officially a Ninja of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Send your' brother in when you get back out there," Iruka said while he handed Naruto a Konoha forehead protector

" _They are more skilled than I thought my new plan should still work though_ ," MIzuki thought with a malevolent grin

"Kay!" Naruto chirped in joy his headband replacing his goggles as he walked back into the classroom

 **~Main Classroom~**

"Great job Little Bro!" Natsu said smiling down from his seat

"Yeah! They want you in next so get going, and no worries with Teme-sensei out," Naruto said a wide grin pointing at Natsu as he took his seat and smiling at Hinata, who was excited that her boyfriend had passed the exam

"I'm so glad you passed Naruto," Hinata said with a loving smile and a kiss on his cheek

"Aww thanks Hinata-hime!" Naruto said a light blush from the sudden contact

"Well I better go and pick up my headband see you two lovebirds in a minute," Natsu said with a wave and a cocky grin

 **~Backroom with Natsu~**

"Well your' brother passed his test with flying colors so let's see how you will do," Iruka said with a warm smile

"I won't disappoint you Iruka-Sensei, Mizuki-Sensei I may disappoint," Natsu said a mischievous look on his face

"We'll see," Mizuki growled back

"Right, so what's first Iruka-Sensei?" Natsu asked

"Start with the Henge no Jutsu, then the Kawarimi no Jutsu, and finally the Bunshin no Jutsu or the Kage Bushin no Jutsu," Iruka said adding the extra blip for Natsu' sake

"Can I do them all at once Iruka-Sensei?" Natsu asked trying to add to his grade with a spectacle

"No, if you did that we wouldn't be able to accurately judge any of them," Iruka said matter-of-factly

"Yeah so get to it, we still have one more student after you and I for one want to go home soon," Mizuki snapped

"Okay then," Natsu frowned before he had an idea and, with a slight twitch of his arms, created a shadow clone before he shouted "Henge no Jutsu!" as he transformed into a rock

Natsu' clone reached down and picked up the rock before throwing it towards the instructors, who dodged the stone, only to hear it hit the wall behind them with a thud

"Henge aren't real so, how?" Mizuki asked with a scowl

"I don't know I thought they were solid transformations this whole time," Natsu defended with a thoughtful look

"Regardless, great Henge Natsu, very impressive," Iruka said with a smile

"I guess you're right Iruka," Mizuki grumbled before turning back to Naruto, "Next!"

"Kawarimi no Jutsu!" Natsu shouted as Mizuki threw a ball at him Natsu barely twitched before switching places with Mizuki who groaned in pain as the ball hit him in the forehead, leaving a small red mark

"Impressive, no seal Kawarimi no Jutsu Natsu especially in a surprise attack situation," Iruka said glaring at Mizuki as he said the last part

"Okay now for the grand finale," Natsu said as he made a hand sign, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Natsu said as he created ten solid clones

"Great job Natsu you pass!" Iruka said handing Natsu a black headband, which he promptly put on his forehead,

"You are now officially a Genin of Konohagakure!" Iruka said smiling. Natsu made his way into the classroom and showed off his headband to everyone there.

 **~Main Classroom~**

Everyone was chatting amongst themselves waiting for Natsu to reemerge, most so they could laugh when he didn't have his headband, some expected him to pass, and others knew he would.

Suddenly a stone was thrown into the classroom from the exam room. The stone flew through the air with deadly precision flying onto the table between Naruto and Hinata.

Hinata picked up the small stone and saw a message written on it, 'You're Next!'

Hinata and Naruto' eyes widened for a moment before the message changed, 'Put Down!'

Hinata complied and placed the stone on the desktop before it erupted in a cloud of white smoke revealing a grinning Natsu.

"What the Hell?" Naruto shouted holding his chest

"I thought it'd be funny like with Mizuki and Iruka-sensei," Natsu said calmly as he sat down

"What was the message about?" Hinata asked nervously

"Oh, you're up for the test you know, 'You're Next" Natsu said with a grin, "Don't worry it's really easy,"

"Thanks" Hinata said still surprised by Natsu' trick

"You're the last one up so go get 'em!" Naruto said as he kissed Hinata' cheek, for luck

"O-Ok, thanks I'll be back in a few then," Hinata said smiling

 **~Backroom with Hinata~**

"Well Hinata you pass," Iruka said as Mizuki handed Hinata a head band

"You are now officially a Kunoichi of Konohagakure, Lady Hinata" Mizuki said with a smile all his agitation from before gone, but behind it he had a mad look in his eyes and a plan in motion to get rid of the fox brats and get a very special item

" _Yes, in just a few hours I will have the scroll of sealing in my hands, a Byakugan, and a pair of fox pelts! Ha HaHa HaHaHa_!" he cackled inside not giving away his plan for an instant

"Oh, and Lady Hinata might I speak with you about something regarding your' team placement and Genin training?" Mizuki asked respectfully

"Yes, of course, Mizuki-Sensei," Hinata said wondering what could be wrong

"Well then come with me to my office we just have to discuss some issues with your training, because of your' title as the heiress to the Hyuuga clan, there could be some complications with the dangers of this lifestyle," Mizuki said with a smile

" _Strange that is usually done by the Jonin sensei after team assignment, guess Mizuki wants to save time and get it out of the way now_ ,"Iruka reasoned not seeing anything wrong with the situation and leaving through the back door of the room

 **~Time skip: Twenty minutes~**

"You know Hinata's been in there a long time," Naruto said a little worried as none of the other tests took this long

"Yeah let's see what's taking so long with her test," Natsu said as he and Naruto stood up heading into the backroom finding it empty

"Crap where is she!?" Naruto shouted panicking at the realization that his girlfriend was missing

"I don't know let's look around and see if we can find anything," Natsu said as he walked over to the desk and noticed a note on the desk with a torn piece of Hinata' jacket held there with a kunai. Naruto picked up the kunai and read the note aloud.

'I have taken your' little girlfriend fox brat! If you want to see her alive again retrieve the Scroll of Sealing and meet me at the small cabin in the forest, by midnight!' Naruto read anger and shock in his voice

"Whoever took her will pay for this!" Naruto growled in rage

"We should go tell the Hokage about this Naruto," Natsu said trying to think up a solution

" **No! You must go and save her yourselves!"** Kurama Yin said to Natsu as the boy became frantic and tried to come up with a plan

"But if we tell the Hokage then we can set up a sting on him and save Hinata and get the guy," reasoned Natsu

"No Kurama is right bro," Naruto said, having received the same warning from his tenant

"Only one of the teachers here today could have taken Hinata," Naruto explained

Natsu' eyes widened as he took in this information," That's right she wouldn't have gone willingly with just anyone it would have to be someone she felt safe around..." Natsu began as he and Naruto started pacing in a circle on the floor.

"And hates us enough to kidnap my girlfriend," Naruto continued off his twins' thoughts

"Well that both broadens and focuses our suspect pool," Natsu said grimly

"Not really bro, we only have the teachers here that know about me and Hinata being a couple and hate us," Naruto said the twins' eyes widened at the same time as they both shouted

"Mizuki!"

" **I didn't like the looks he gave you boys** ," Kurama Yin said

" **Neither did I** ," Kurama yang said

"Well what now Natsu?" Naruto asked worry clear on his face

"We steal the scroll and meet up with Mizuki at the location," Natsu said a confident smile on his face

"How will that get us Hinata back? The moment we give Mizuki the scroll he'll just try and kill us and Hinata!" Naruto shouted not understanding the plan

"Well you're half right," Natsu said Naruto still confused as hell and getting annoyed,

"Look Mizuki will definitely try and kill us but Hinata is worth more to him alive than dead as if she dies her Byakugan can be harvested but if she is alive she can be bred," Natsu said with a disgusted look on his face, "Us we're just the fox brats,"

"Why do you think Mizuki wants Hinata' Byakugan?" Naruto asked still confused and even more worried about Hinata now

"Mizuki is probably trying to bribe his way into another village or into someone' favor," Natsu said deep in thought,

"With the Scroll of Sealing alone he could retain his current rank in almost any village but add a Byakugan of a Hyuuga heiress into the mix and he could become a Jonin in any village around!"

"I guess that's true and plus I can't think of any other reason for him to do all this," Naruto said as he looked deep in thought,

"Plus if we do steal the scroll a mess of Chunin maybe even some Jonin will be after us!" Naruto said as a plan began to surface in their minds.

"Yeah and if we leave a trail that just looks like a sloppy forest run we can lead them right to the meeting place without Mizuki being the wiser," Natsu said

"Of course Mizuki already looks down on us he would just assume we were so unskilled that we couldn't help but leave a trail," Naruto said

" **That plan will work and if you have trouble…"** Kurama-yin began

" **Simply flare our chakra and you'll get the Hokage on your' ass!"** Kurama-yang said with a feral smile

"Thanks," both boys said in unison before they Shunshined to the Hokage Tower

 **~Time Skip 2 hours later~**

The sun was setting on the horizon washing the village in a mixture of pink and orange hues. Our favourite Jinchuriki were running into the forest on the edge of the village. Naruto looked up to the sky for a second desperately wishing that he and Hinata could have shared this sunset under better circumstances.

" _Stay strong Hinata-hime I'm on my way and I will save you!"_ Naruto thought the Scroll of Sealing strapped to his back.

He knew full well that most of the available Chunin and Jonin in the village were now after them and he was smiling as he purposely broke a random branch pointing the way to the meet.

"Almost there little bro, you remember the plan?" Natsu asked as he too broke a branch a fake scroll strapped to his back as a form of insurance against Mizuki

"Yeah I remember the plan Natsu doesn't mean I won't get a few licks in," Naruto said with a growl leaving a clear foot print in the dirt

"I wouldn't have it any other way Naruto!" Natsu said breaking a final branch before they reached a small shack in a clearing somewhere in the middle of the forest

The shack was old and worn out with holes in the roof and years of water damage a wood wheel leaning against the right wall.

The brothers sat down when Natsu got an idea, "Why don't we look at the scroll and find some Jutsu that we can use you know ones that aren't sealed without good reason,"

"Why not, we have some time before Mizuki' letter said he would meet us," Naruto said with a shrug, "Plus, he'll never expect it"

The brothers looked through the scroll for any interesting Ninjutsu but, while there were many, most of the Jutsu in the scroll had requirements that neither felt comfortable with especially the Edo Tensei. They were able to find two techniques that, while chakra consuming, were still easy to perform, for them.

The first technique was the Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, where the user throws a single shuriken and creates Kage Bunshin of the shuriken and the second was Fūton: Shinkūjin, the user coats their weapon in wind chakra increasing it' sharpness and range.

The two smiled at the new techniques as they memorized the information and how to perform the techniques before they heard a small crunching sound. The brothers quickly rolled up the scroll and shuffled it between themselves, keeping track while confusing their guest.

Both turned and looked toward the tree line, where they heard someone panting, looking over they saw a very pissed off Iruka who looked like he had been running himself ragged looking for them.

"Iruka-Sensei, what are you doing here?" Natsu asked not expecting their teacher to be the first one there

"Mizuki told everyone what you guys did," Iruka said disappointment in his voice

"Natsu, Naruto what the hell are you two doing!? Stealing the Scroll of Sealing after you worked so hard to pass the graduation exam!"

"I thought Mizuki-teme would pull something like this," Natsu said an angry look on his face still ashamed of what they had to do,

" **Of course that coward would** ," Kurama-yang growled out

"We didn't have a choice Iruka-Sensei," Natsu pleaded holding up the note that was left for them at the school

"Yeah, someone kidnapped Hinata and told us if we wanted to see her alive again we needed to steal the Scroll of Sealing and meet them here," Naruto said

"Why didn't you go to the Hokage or another shinobi?" Iruka asked understanding the impossible choice they had to make

"Because we thought that it was a Chunin from the school that took her and we figured he'd have an ear out for us and…" Natsu said before Naruto interrupted

"We were afraid that he would just cut his losses and run using Hinata and her Byakugan to bribe his way into another village, or just kill her," Naruto said anxiously

"I guess I can understand that," Iruka said seeing the situation and getting why they reacted to it the way they did

At that moment, a voice came from above cackling out, "Hmm, I guess you Demon Brats really do have the cunning of the fox, that's exactly what I was gonna do!" Mizuki said, a crazy look in his eyes and a wide grin on his face as he pulled a bound and gagged Hinata up from behind him and held a kunai to her throat

"Here's how it's gonna go brats," Mizuki said in a clipped tone, "You give me the Scroll and I hand you the girl. You boys first."

"How do we know you'll keep your' word and give her back?" Natsu asked

"You don't," Mizuki said coldly, "Now which of you has the real scroll?"

"I do!" Naruto answered taking off the scroll holding it in front of himself

"Then you must be the one who has it!" Mizuki shouted pointing at Natsu, "Give it to me now or she dies here!"

"All right just don't hurt her!" Natsu replied removing the fake scroll from his back and placing it on the ground in front of the shed

Seeing the scroll there Mizuki jumped down placing Hinata against the front of the shack as he reached down and checked the scroll. As Mizuki opened the scroll it exploded in a puff of white smoke being revealed as a normal log.

In that moment of hesitation, Naruto had tossed the real scroll to Natsu and made a shadow clone which retrieved Hinata from the shack wall, using the Shunshin Technique. Leaping with her onto a nearby tree branch and getting her to safety. Natsu also made a clone who ran off in the opposite direction carrying the real Scroll of Sealing.

Mizuki reeled around seeing both his bargaining chip and the real scroll were gone and out of sight yet Iruka and both the fox brats were still there

"Where? How? You Damn FOX DEMONS!" He roared his plan falling apart. All his work all the planning, preparation,

"I even revealed myself to Iruka and those damn brats!" He growled no longer caring to think

"HOW!?" Mizuki shouted, "How could you do this!?"

"Easy," Naruto said glaring with a pissed off predatory look as he circled around Mizuki drawing slightly closer with each step

"We used a Kage Bunshin and disoriented you with a time release of the Henge no Jutsu sealed on that log, you were dazed for a couple seconds when the Jutsu broke and smoke went in your' face," Naruto said pulling out a kunai from his leg holster

"Now you're gonna pay for kidnapping my Hime!" Naruto shouted as he lunged forward punching Mizuki as hard as he could in the stomach sending him back into the shack wall

"I won't go easy on you!" Naruto growled

Mizuki jumped back up onto the roof of the shack and threw down a flurry of kunai and shuriken which split halfway to the group below.

"Get down!" Iruka shouted as he jumped forward bringing the boys down with him. The now two swarms of shuriken and kunai missing each other by millimetres and hitting into trees on opposite sides of the tree line.

"Damn it! How could I miss them!?" Mizuki roared as he jumped down and got into a fighting stance

Natsu, Naruto, and Iruka were standing ready until Naruto put his hand up in front of the other two and said, "Wait he's mine," Naruto growled, "No one touches him but me!"

"I understand," Natsu said with a smirk and his hands up in a hands-off manner

"What do you mean Naruto?" Iruka asked in disbelief, "You can't take Mizuki on alone!"

"He took the love of my life, threatened her safety, and was going to use her as a bribe into another village," Naruto growled hatred dripping from his words,

"If I don't get a few hits in now I won't forgive myself!" Naruto growled before he brought his kunai up to his mouth and whispered, "Fūton: Shinkūjin," coating the kunai with slightly orange wind chakra

" _Naruto_ , Fine I won't stop you," Iruka said calmly his hands up in an I give manner, "Kick his Ass!"

"Count on it," Naruto said coldly as he walked toward Mizuki a deadly look in his eyes

"Don't mock me!" shouted Mizuki as he lunged at Naruto Kunai in hand

Naruto watched as Mizuki brought the Kunai down towards his shoulder and parried it with the tip of his Shinkūjin before grabbing Mizuki at the wrist, ducking under Mizuki' arm, he came up behind Mizuki putting him in an elbow lock forcing Mizuki to drop the kunai.

Naruto then let Mizuki' arm go and kicked him forward saying, "Is that all you got?"

Mizuki roared pulling a giant shuriken off his back and throwing it at Naruto who brought up his Shinkūjin and sliced the fuma shuriken into several large chunks. Stunning Mizuki, and Iruka, before Naruto lunged forward slashing Mizuki from the left hip up to his right shoulder forcing Mizuki to jump back.

"Ha, you think you're so special!" Mizuki panted before his insane grin returned

"You want to know why the village hates you? Why they all exclude you from everything? Why they try to finish the Yondaime' work every year on your' birthday?" Mizuki asked cackling

"No! Mizuki you mustn't it's forbidden!" Iruka shouted about to jump into the fight before Natsu grabbed his sleeve stopping him, "What? Why are you trying to stop me?"

"Because Iruka-Sensei," Natsu began a knowing look on his face, "Naruto and I figured it out two years ago, no need to protect us in fact, the Kyuubi is really friendly when you get to know him," Natsu said smiling,

"Now sit back and watch the show you haven't seen anything yet!" with that and a scowl from Natsu Iruka sat back and watched.

"Well brat the reason they all hate you is because the Kyuubi is trapped inside you sealed there by the Yondaime Hokage! That information was then classified by the Sandaime so you could have a 'Normal Childhood'!" Mizuki cackled before he was sent spinning by a punch to the face. As he got up his confidence turned to fear the look in Naruto' eyes one of pure outrage not confusion or fear like Mizuki had expected.

"So what?" Naruto said as he looked up his eyes deadly with rage,

"I found out years ago after your' interference during my early graduation exam," Naruto said dropping his Shinkūjin and sheathing his kunai

Naruto growled as his hands came up and made a cross shape hand sign before he shouted, "Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" and in a plume of smoke fifty solid Naruto clones appeared each one just as pissed as the original,

"And if you're too stupid to discern me from what you see as a demon then you're an idiot and a traitor!" Naruto shouted as he and his clones charged in with their fists raised

"Oh, Crap!" Mizuki meeped as he saw the fifty clones surrounding him and readying themselves to attack,

"Gaaaaaahhhhhh!" Mizuki shouted as the sound of him being pummeled resonated through the forest catching the attention of the Chunin and Jonin who were following the twins' trail

They had already met up with the clones who had Hinata and the Scroll of Sealing and with both the cloned note and Hinata' testimony accepted that Mizuki had lost it and masterminded the heist the brothers were to be pardoned for the theft.

As the group of shinobi arrived in the clearing with the shack they found a beaten and tied Mizuki laying on the ground in front of a smiling Natsu and Iruka and a still annoyed Naruto who still had the depraved Chunin' blood on his knuckles

" _They've grown so much in this last year,"_ Iruka thought as he looked at the triumphant and annoyed brothers,

" _I should tell them it only gets harder from here but they've had a long day I'll tell them tomorrow over ramen_ ," he thought smiling

"Took you guys long enough!" Natsu said seeing the Chunin and Jonin walking up,

"I thought that trail would have been much more obvious than it apparently was." He said annoyed that they had taken so long

"Hey you should respect your elders Natsu," Iruka said slightly annoyed

"Yes Sensei, Sorry for my rudeness please forgive me," Natsu said with a bow his words dripping with sarcasm

"It's Okay we did take our time," said one of the Jonin, the right side of his face almost folded in the middle,

"So, let me get this straight, after you three passed your graduation exams Mizuki captured Hinata Hyuuga knowing she was dating Naruto and that you would do anything to get her back and left you a note saying he would kill her if you didn't bring him the Scroll of Sealing, how's that so far?"

"Perfect," Natsu said

"Right," the Jonin continued, "So you then deduced three things: first, that he was a Chunin at the school who knew about the relationship and hated you, Mizuki being the only one who fit that bill; Second; that he was going to use the Scroll of Sealing and Lady Hinata' Byakugan to get into another village; and Third, that he would know if you told anyone."

"Correct," Naruto said in annoyance

"So, the two of you stole the scroll and left as obvious a trail as possible without arousing the suspicion that it wasn't just a sloppy get away into the forest," the Jonin asked

"Right," Natsu said

"Excuse me?" a silver-haired Jonin asked, His headband pulled down over his left eye and a face mask covered most of his face while he wore the traditional Jonin attire

"Yes," said Natsu wondering what the strange Jonin might want

"If this all went down to that point like so, then How did you get both the real scroll and the girl away from Mizuki?" the silver-haired Jonin asked

"I was getting to that in my questioning, Kakashi," the weird faced Jonin said annoyed at his colleague' impatience

"Well to answer your question I had transformed a log to look like the Scroll of Sealing and released the Jutsu as Mizuki let his guard down to check the scroll," Natsu explained,

"Me and Naruto then each made a Shadow Clone mine ran off with the real scroll toward the trail we had made while Naruto' did the same with Hinata while removing her binds."

" _Impressive for such young kids to come up with something like that_ ," Kakashi thought, "That's all it took?"

"He was a Chunin for a reason," Natsu said flatly

"And how did he end up like that?" Kakashi asked

"Us foxes are very territorial especially when it comes to those we love," Naruto said a loving smile on his face as he held Hinata close trying to comfort her

"I see, so you know?" Kakashi asked, the question being more of a statement

"Yeah Mizuki let it slip during his fight with Naruto," Natsu said acting bewildered

At that moment, a messenger came with a letter from the Hokage and handed it to Kakashi.

" _Must be higher ranked than scar-face_ ," both boys thought

"Well it looks like the Hokage has been watching us and ruled that you two are not to be punished and will retain your status as Genin of the Leaf, and you boys will be rewarded for an A-Rank mission tomorrow after your' documents are finalized" Kakashi said eye smiling as he saw the boys waiting to react until he finished,

"You three will be escorted home and each of you must get an I.D. photo ready for assignment at the end of the week, so, get it turned in before tomorrow night, Oh and Naruto Uzumaki?" Kakashi said looking for the blonde twin

"Yes Kakashi-san," Naruto said trying to show the Jonin respect

"This event has brought your' and Hinata' relationship to the attention of the Village Council and thus, the Hyuuga clan, the latter wants to meet you properly now," Kakashi said with an eye smile

"Really that's all," Naruto gulped clearly nervous at the prospects of meeting his girlfriend' family, the strictest stick up assed clan in Konoha, specifically her father, the leader of the most powerful and influential clan in the village

"Don't worry Naruto-kun I love you, you're a nice guy who is always there for me, I'm sure it's just a formality and that my father will like you," Hinata said a smile replacing the scared worried look she had a moment ago

"If you say so," Naruto said still unsure about meeting Hiashi Hyuuga

"Any way that's all, dismissed you three," Kakashi said with a salute as the three Genin left with an escort Natsu and Naruto being escorted by Iruka who took them for some Ramen to celebrate and Hinata being escorted by a Hyuuga Chunin who had joined the search for the scroll thinking it may lead him to the Hyuuga heiress

 **Well guys hope you enjoyed the Chapter next time I'll get in team placement and I am doing the Konohamaru thing! I know it was filler in a way but I think it was benefiller(Beneficial filler) and want it in my fic! Remember, comment your' likes dislikes or concerns, Thanks for reading see you next time!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys I'm back again and I'm still looking for comments. I love that even a few people are reading my work thanks. I still need some comments let's get to sixty!**

 **UPDATED!**

 **Chapter 4: A Team is Born!**

It was the morning after Naruto and Natsu had saved Hinata and gotten Mizuki locked away, for the rest of his miserable life. Today our heroes wake up refreshed and confident proud of the scope of their achievements. Naruto was just happy that his girlfriend was safe and at home.

"So, what are we doing today bro?" Naruto asked happily wearing his normal pajamas with vertical blue and white stripes and his strange nightcap that was a black hat with eyes a nose and teeth making it look like some creature was eating Naruto' head

"We don't have much to do today," Natsu answered emphasizing the word 'we',

"The two of us are getting our pictures taken for our Shinobi I.D.'s and after that You get to go meet your' girlfriend' parents," Natsu said wearing similar pajamas with red and white vertical stripes but instead of a nightcap Natsu was wearing a plain white apron as he began breakfast, which was mushroom, sausage, and cheddar cheese egg white omelets with pancakes and milk, to ensure a healthy start for his little brother' big day

"Don't worry they're protective but I doubt he doesn't know about you two already, we'll get you a Kimono in town, Okay?" Natsu asked noticing how nervous Naruto was

"Yeah, I guess you're right, Thanks Natsu," Naruto said a little bit relieved by that thought

"Okay then eat up we're getting our pictures taken in an hour!" Natsu said as he began to eat

"Right!" Naruto said as he followed his brother' example

The boys were both wearing their usual outfits but, unlike most days they decided to forego their contacts. They were Genin now, their headbands proudly adorning their foreheads with prideful grins plastered on their faces, they didn't care about scaring anyone now.

The brothers arrived at the Hokage' compound around 9:30 A.M. and found that they would be taking their file photos on the roof.

 **~Roof: Hokage Tower~**

"All right so which one of you is first?" asked the photographer, a portly man with small round glasses a light grey moustache and a large bald spot on his head, he wore a green shirt, brown vest, and tan pants with brown sandals

"I am!" Naruto shouted running up to the chair

"All right then sit on the stool and smile this should be a one take thing," said the photographer as Naruto did as instructed. The photographer then took the picture and said, "Okay good job, you're up next kid," while pointing at Natsu

"Okay," Natsu sat down on the stool making a straight face at the camera showing no intent or emotion. The face sent a chill down the Photographer' spine as he quickly got the picture and sent the boys on their way

 **~Konoha Shopping District: 9:45 A.M.~**

Our favorite pair of Jinchuriki were walking through the shopping district looking for a shop that had Men' Kimonos that would fit Naruto' unique style and were still cheap enough for the two fresh faced academy graduates.

The real problem was that even if the boys found one that was Naruto' size, style, and in their price range they still had one major obstacle, Themselves.

Only a handful of vendors and shop keepers would sell to them and even then, the prices were exorbitant for the brothers who were charged with ridiculous taxes or just high prices made just for them. The boys continued their walk through the shopping district until they came across a kimono that made them both stop.

It was a combination of cerulean blue and burnt orange fabric that was blue on the shoulders and down the arms and torso, the cuffs of the sleeve and the hem of the shirt were a silky orange trim with a flame like design in black thread on the trim and on the back was the Uzumaki symbol. The pants were a reverse of the shirt in that the cuffs were blue and the rest were a deep orange with a wave like white line at the point the two colors met.

"It's perfect!" Naruto said gleefully until he realized where the brothers were,

"Aghh, but this guy hates us coming into or near his store!" Naruto groaned and, as if on que

"Hey!" shouted the shop owner from the door of the shop,

"Get away from there you damn brats!" he said in a crotchety old man voice.

He wore a white button up shirt and black vest with black slacks and had a measuring tape draped over his shoulders and a pair of rounded half lense glasses resting on the end of his nose and was brandishing a broom as the brothers ran around a corner and into an alley.

"So how do we get in to buy it if that guy will beat us on sight?" Naruto asked his brother who was thinking up a solution to their problem but, had nothing so far

" **Why not use the** **Henge no Jutsu** **and just change your' faces?"** both Kuramas asked their respective hosts

"Why didn't we think of that!?" the brothers half shouted half asked at the same time slapping themselves in the forehead.

The two nodded toward each other and muttered, "Henge no Jutsu!" as they both altered their faces and clothing.

Natsu was the same size and weight with brown hair green eyes, and had lost the fox whisker marks on his face and was wearing a plain black T-Shirt and white shorts and black shoes.

Naruto had black hair and brown eyes and had lost the fox whisker marks. He was now wearing a white T-Shirt and black shorts with black shoes.

Looking at each other the two nodded, satisfied with the Henge, and made their way back to the shop.

" _You know it's funny Kurama Yin_ ," Natsu thought as he and his brother neared the store

" **What is?"** Kurama asked with a curious growl

" _I bet that most of our pranking ideas came from you being in our subconscious,"_ Natsu thought with an amused grin and a snicker

" **I guess you're right kit!"** Kurama Yin chuckled back as he thought back to different pranks he had thought up or his counterpart had and the boys had executed as though from their own minds

"Welcome!" said the shopkeeper with a smile," How may I help you today?"

" _He sure changed his tune_ ," both brothers thought with a repressed scowl

"My younger brother here needs a Kimono for later today and the one in your' window there really spoke to him," said Natsu with a respectful smile

"Hmmm," Mumbled the old man as he took a closer look at the young boys making them nervous that he was some ex-ninja who would see through the Henge,

"I don't see why not that will be 300 Ryo," said the old man with a nod as the boys let out a sigh of relief

"That's a little pricey can you take 200?" Natsu asked

"How about 250 and I taylor it?" the old shopkeeper asked

"Okay then thanks mister," the boys said together as Natsu took out the money a little upset that it was still so much but happy none the less.

"Thank you for your' business," the old man said,

"Now, you there let's make sure this Kimono fits you, huh?"

Naruto took the Kimono and walked into a changing room when he came out Naruto was wearing the impressive garment and it seemed to fit him perfectly.

"Well looks like I won't be needing my needle and thread," the old man said a little disappointed

"Does that mean we can knock off another fifty since you didn't taylor it?" Naruto asked smoothly to the old man' shock

"Yeah, that's only fair," the shopkeeper said

"Thank you, sir!" the brothers said as they left

"Come again!" he shouted at the door

"Two faced asshole," Naruto muttered as they walked away from the store holding his new kimono close

The entire ordeal of finding the outfit and getting inside to buy it took about less than an hour, which gave Naruto another hour to get ready for lunch, hope that the Hyuuga clan found him to be in good taste, and to worry that they would not.

" _I'm gonna blow this I just know it_!" Naruto thought as his mind filled with what the Hyuuga clan would do to him if they didn't like him or if they thought he was a threat to their heiress and her future

" **Don't worry just keep calm and be respectful of them and what they say,"** Kurama Yang reassured his host as the boy made his way to the Uzumaki apartment,

" **If the heiress likes you then the rest are bound to tolerate you** ," the fox reasoned in Naruto' mind

"I guess but then again they're currently the most influential clan in the village, they could have me disappear from the village and no one except the Hokage, Iruka-sensei, or Ayame-Nee-chan and Teuchi-oji-san would notice!" Naruto said aloud gaining some curious glares from civilians around him to which he returned an apologetic smile,

"I just hope this goes well I really do like Hinata, _I might even love her_ " Naruto said thinking the last part with a smile on his face and a deep hopeful look in his eyes as his step took on a little more confidence he shouted, "This will work out it has to!"

A couple hours later Naruto stood outside the Hyuuga clan' compound a worried look on his face. He was wearing the Kimono he and his brother had bought him earlier that day and was still nervous as hell that Hinata' father, Hiashi Hyuuga, was going to hate the boy for either being with his daughter or for simply being the vessel for the Kyuubi no Kitsune.

"Oh Kami, please let this work in my favor!" Naruto muttered loudly as he used the large cast iron door knocker on the large oak double doors set into the Japanese style wall

It was white plaster with dark stones molded against the bottom meter of the wall with blue clay tiles on the roof and top of the walls. The gate itself was quite impressive but not as impressive as the sight which greeted him when the door opened. There stood his girlfriend of two years and the heiress to the Hyuuga clan, Hinata Hyuuga. She had ink blue hair down to her shoulders with long bangs which framed the sides of her face, her eyes were a pale violet and like most Hyuuga members appeared to have no pupils. She was wearing a violet kimono with yellow flower petals made to look as though they were being blown in the wind along the hems of the kimono.

"Oh Naruto-Kun," Hinata gasped as she saw her boyfriend in his new kimono the colors complimenting his looks well,

"That looks incredible on you, how did you get it?" Hinata asked a little worried that he may have stolen the beautiful garment

"Legally if you must know I had to use a Henge no Jutsu to get in just to look around let alone buy the thing," Naruto said annoyed at the hoops he and his brother had to jump through to do something as simple as buying some dress clothes

"Well, that's better than having to steal it, right?" Hinata said with a happy smile trying to cheer her boyfriend up a bit before he had to meet her father

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Naruto said his usual smile back and brighter than before,

"Thanks, Hinata-hime," Naruto said with a look of passion deep in his eyes

Hinata then lead Naruto into the compound and to a large hall that had wood paneled floors and walls that were half wood and half white plaster. The doors to the deck were open letting in a great deal of natural light and showing a very serene and lush garden with a small coy pond.

Sitting around a low table on cushions were, Hiashi Hyuuga, the head of the Hyuuga family and Hinata' father, who was wearing a white kimono with an olive-green shawl, and Hanabi Hyuuga, Hinata' younger sister, wearing a dark purple almost black kimono with red flower petal accents along the hem. The two turned to look at Naruto and were pleasantly surprised by Naruto' appearance and it' contradiction to his usual rowdy and unkempt look

"Thank you for having me Lord Hiashi I am honored by the invitation," Naruto said hating it but believing that the more respect and mannerisms he displayed the better his chances of the Hyuugas liking him

"Thank you, young man, but it's best to be yourself here than to be a façade of yourself and you can relax a little, unlike most of the village idiots, I have a deeper understanding of Fuinjutsu and know you aren't the beast reborn," Hiashi said to a shocked Naruto and his confused daughters

"I thought you couldn't say anything around others," Naruto said remembering that the Hokage told him to keep the Kyuubi a secret around the village Genin and not talk about it or his parents, unless he felt they were ready

"I have special permission for two reasons: One, I am the head of the current strongest and most influential clan in the village; and two, if you are going to date my daughter, the heiress to the Hyuuga, and one day marry her, then she should be allowed to know everything about you and vice versa," Hiashi said as he took a sip of his tea as though he didn't say anything wrong

"Father!" Hinata whined as her face reddened at his comment about marriage,

" _But what is sealed within Naruto-Kun?_ " Hinata began to wonder

"I guess you're right Lord Hiashi, then I will explain what I know but, may I ask you one thing before I do?" Naruto asked with a serious look replacing his normal smile

Seeing the look the leader of the Hyuuga nodded at the boy an equally serious look on his face

"Do you know who my parents were? And if so, Can I speak about them here as with the other matter?" Naruto asked to be sure

"Yes, I knew your' parents and of their accomplishments, and yes you can speak freely of them as well," Hiashi said a somber look on his face from the memory of his fallen comrades

"Okay then," Naruto said with a sigh as he got comfortable and focused his thoughts, "Natsu and I are the sons of Minato Namikaze, the Yondaime Hokage, and Kushina Uzumaki who was the former host of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, and I am the current host,"

"But I thought the Yondaime Hokage killed the Fox spirit!" Hinata gasped as her boyfriend' story began

"No, it was forced out of my mother the night I was born and then it' Yang half was sealed within me with it' Yin half sealed within my brother, Natsu. The Kyuubi being forced from my mother Kushina almost killed her the final straw was the strain of sealing the Kyuubi in me and my brother the very Jutsu killing my father," Naruto said as tears began to form in the corner of his eyes before Hinata pulled him into a hug and tried to comfort him looking up into his teary eyes with a deep love beyond their years

"After that me and my brother were hated by the fools of the village who well you know," Naruto said upset by the story everyone nodding

"I never knew why or what I could have done to make them hate me or what Natsu could have done until a couple years ago when Natsu and me failed at our early graduation attempt, he had a psychological break and in that moment, his consciousness connected with the Kyuubi" Naruto said calming down in Hinata' gentle embrace

"What was that?" Hiashi asked in shock, "So, he and the Kyuubi, they spoke?"

"Yes and please keep this between us as best you can," Naruto said trusting the still worried man

"Yes, of course," Hiashi said noticing the look on the boy' face

"Thank you," Naruto said with a slight bow,

"Natsu made peace with the Kyuubi and was blessed with a Dojutsu and the beast' name. Later that day after we had an argument because he tried to hide it all from me," Naruto explained

" _Likely to protect him_ ," Hiashi mused in his mind

"Natsu then helped me to connect with the Yang half of the Kyuubi, which slept within me, and I too earned his respect gaining the same Dojutsu as Natsu we call it the Kitsunegan," Naruto explained

"That is quite impressive, we appreciate your' trust, and rest assure, I will allow you to date my daughter I have noticed a new strength in her since you began dating and I have known you two were dating for the last six months," Hiashi said proud of himself

"Well it's actually been two years but, good job father," Hinata said a bit amused as her father did a spit take and her sister laughed the room soon filling with laughter as the four smiled

"Thank you Lord Hiashi," Naruto said with a bow

"Now how does this Dojutsu of your' work, Naruto?" Hiashi asked

As Naruto began to explain the Jutsu Hiashi and the other Hyuuga members were astonished at how similar it and the Byakugan

 **~Meanwhile with Natsu~**

Natsu was currently leaving the Konoha shopping district, having dropped his Henge no Jutsu, and was walking aimlessly through the village before an Idea struck him and he reached out to his tenant.

" _Are there any more techniques you could teach me_?" Natsu asked bored out of his mind and wanting to do something productive.

He wanted a new technique to use and surprise his Jonin sensei later now that he had reached over 100 kg total in his ongoing weight training

" **I can show you two techniques that were used against me during failed capture attempts but there are a few others that you can research in the Shinobi Library** ," Kurama growled with a smirk at the boy' tenacity

"Really!" Natsu said excitedly, "What are they!?"

" **The** **Dustless Bewildering Cover** **, is a water style jutsu that allows you to hide your' presence and chakra by manipulating water particles to bend light and the** **Sensing Hexagram Seal** **, which is a type of sensory Fuinjutsu that will allow you to sense enemies and friends within the area of the Hexagram Seal** "Kurama-yin said with a smirk

"Are you sure I can learn these they're all really complex?" Natsu asked worried about the techniques being too much for him

"And why are you having me learn a sensory Fuinjutsu?" Natsu asked casuing Kurama-yin to sigh

" **You remember all those times you could just feel that someone was coming trying to hurt you or Naruto and how you always felt around Mizuki," Natsu nodded in response, "That was you accessing my** **Empathetic Sensory Jutsu** **, it's a Ninjutsu which allows you to sense the emotions of others and, of course you can learn these Jutsu, if you use our Dojutsu and watch closely, you'll have a basic level of mastery over the techniques** ," Kurama Yin said

"Okay, so I'm a sensor type Shinobi, will Kurama-yang teach something to Naruto?" Natsu asked as he mused over his new skill

" **Yes, he will be able to teach your' brother, Katon, Fūton, and Raiton Ninjutsu if my senses are correct** " Kurama Yin snarled growled in thought, " **Over the years I have learned that you have an affinity for Fūton, Suiton, and Raiton ninjutsu** "

"Why do me and Naruto both have an affinity for Fūton chakra, is it common?" Natsu asked in confusion as he pondered the similarity

" **No, Fūton chakra is rare here in Hi no Kuni,"** Kurama Yin said as he thought back to the battles he had been through in Hi no Kuni and the many powerful Shinobi he had faced,

" **However, your' brothers Fire affinity is quite common especially among the Uchiha. I also believe that my own Chakra is the cause of your' Wind affinity,"** Kurama-yin said with a smirk,

"Did our parents have the other four then?" Natsu asked hoping for a tidbit on them

" **Yes and no, your' mother had Suiton and** **Fūton** **chakra nature while your' father had and affinity for Raiton and Katon Ninjutsu with some, affinity for yin and yang release,"** Kurama-yin said remembering the ones who sealed him years ago

" **Now let's go to the Shinobi Library so you can also find some elemental Ninjutsu for your' affinities** " Kurama Yin shouted in excitement a state that he had gained from his host

"Yeah let's," shouted Natsu as he began sprinting toward the Konoha Shinobi library to get a crack at the technique scrolls

The young Jinchuriki quickly made his way to the library and closer to his new techniques and skills. Once he got to the library he began to get nervous. He had never been inside the building and had never gotten a good look at the woman who ran it.

He looked in and saw her sitting behind a large desk. She looked to be in her late thirties with curly black hair down to her shoulder and oval glasses which obscured her normally brown eyes. She wore a white kimono blouse and a red skirt that went down to her ankles.

Natsu suddenly recognized her from the academy. She taught Kunoichi certain skills on how to blend into different communities. He remembered her name was Suzume. She never made any remarks against him or Naruto except on their etiquette and their study habits until this last year when she realized they been trying harder and raising their rank in the academy. He still didn't know how she felt about them though or what she would do to him if he went in.

" **This is a perfect opportunity! I want you to make the ram seal and whisper,** **Kyōkan Kankaku no Jutsu** Empathetic Sensory Jutsu!Kurama Yin ordered the boy who quickly complied making the hand seal before muttering the jutsu name

Suddenly Natsu could feel the emotions of everyone around him. He felt cheer from a nearby tavern and a sense of calm from a teashop. He felt contentment and tranquility coming from the library and some contempt from a pair of Chunin near the library. Strangely enough, he felt a sense of ecstasy coming from an alley around the corner.

 **~LIME WARNING LIME WARNING LIME WARNING LIME WARNING~**

Curious by his strange discovery Natsu walked over to the alley. When he peered around the corner and nearly had his eyes fly from their sockets. Standing there, with her hands against the wall and her skirt hiked up to her waist stood a woman with purple hair, tied into a fan-like ponytail, wearing a mesh body suit, a khaki trench coat and orange skirt. She was moaning through a piece of cloth stuffed in her mouth. Behind her, a male Jonin stood behind her wearing the standard Jonin uniform with his hands on her hips while he plowed into her. Suddenly they both stiffened and the woman' moans met a crescendo before they both slumped.

 **~LIME END LIME END LIME END LIME END LIME END LIME END LIME END~**

Natsu quickly left the alley and ran up to the library door, his world view changed forever. For better or for worse he wouldn't know but, right now, he didn't hate what he saw.

" _ **The kit is maturing faster than most his age, maybe my chakra does more than I thought**_ Kurama-yin pondered

Natsu walked inside the library, the jutsu still active, and tried to focus in on Suzume

"Okay then let's do this," Natsu muttered still a bit worried but less nervous now

He walked over toward Suzume' desk and as he approached she looked up, having noted the strong chakra coming her way, but not hearing the extremely quiet footsteps of the chakra' source. Suzume was surprised however when in place of a powerful shinobi she saw the young Jinchuriki timidly walking closer to her work space.

"Yes, how may I help you young man?" Suzume asked flatly looking the genin over

Natsu couldn't feel the usual disgust or hatred that he felt from most villagers, instead he felt indifference, as though she was completely neutral to him, for now.

"I just wanted to look at some Jutsu scrolls and try to pick up a trick or two to impress my Jonin sensei later this week, Suzume-Sensei," Natsu said in a whispered tone and with evident respect

"That would be quite all right young man," Suzume said as she pointed the boy toward the Genin section of the library explaining that as he ranked up he would be allowed access to more sections with more advanced jutsu, " _He's only a genin after all, for now, no matter what the others say_ ,"

Natsu found the Genin section, with relative ease, and started in the Fūton section of the library, finding it to be much smaller than the other section. He looked around the small section and found one that sounded fun called Fūton: Renkūdan: which allowed the user to fire a concentrated bullet of wind at their opponent causing immense damage with the possibility of piercing, and the Fūton: Reppūshō: which creates an immense gust of wind increasing the speed and power of projectile weapons and the power of Katon Ninjutsu.

In the Suiton section he didn't find many Jutsu but found, Suiton: Suidan no Jutsu: which allows the user to shoot a bullet of water from their mouth. He continued through the Genin sections and found, Raiton: Jibashi: which allows the user to create a wave of lightning or fire off a concentrated bolt. Finally, Natsu looked through the Katon section and found, Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu: which allows the user to manifest chakra and fire a large fireball or a steady stream of flames. Natsu quickly made five clones to copy the various jutsu and place the scrolls back.

Natsu used his Kitsunegan, on the four Jutsu he could learn, while his clones copied down the four Naruto could learn. Natsu decided to do some training after he left, as he still needed some practice with the techniques before he could truly say he had mastered them.

When Natsu' clones finished up the copies of the different scrolls he left the Genin section and walked to the front desk only to see Suzume arguing with a very familiar looking woman with purple hair put up in a short fan like ponytail wearing a fishnet body suit that went down half way to her knees and elbows, a short orange skirt with a slight slit on the hem and a trench coat the reach down to just above her knees and was left open.

Natsu' face went through a flurry of emotions starting with confusion, over where he saw her, realization, as he remembered, embarrassment as he realized what he had seen, a light blush spreading across his face. He shook his head, dispelling some of the thoughts, and took notice of what they were saying.

It seemed that the purple haired woman' appearance upset Suzume, who was a prude beyond measure, and Suzume' attitude made the other woman even more annoyed since it was her body, she'd show it off if she wanted. Natsu got to the desk, at the peak of the argument, to pay for the copies he had made he could hear more and more of the argument including the numerous swears used by the purple haired woman.

"Excuse me," Natsu said, to no avail, as the women ignored his presence

Natsu did the first thing that came to mind and flared his Kyuubi chakra to scare the shit out of them as he shouted, "Excuse me!"

Both women suddenly turned the purple haired one readying a kunai and Suzume shaking slightly. As the two saw the young Genin there they both looked around and then realized who the Genin was. Both relaxed but the purple haired woman kept the kunai out

"Did you need something? And please don't yell in the library," Suzume asked pleasantly with a chiding tone

"You were both yelling and swearing at the top of your' lungs I just wanted to quell the argument and get out of here to train!" Natsu said annoyed and with a slightly raised voice.

Both Kunoichi couldn't argue with the young Jinchuriki and both began to chuckle nervously as they sweat dropped and rubbed the back of their heads. Suzume took the scrolls from Natsu' arms and looked them over before she nodded.

"So, that will be four Jutsu Scroll copies?" Suzume asked kindly handing back the copies

"Yes, thank you Suzume-Sensei," Natsu said with a light bow

"That will be 80 Ryo for the copies, um?" Suzume asked forgetting the young Shinobi' name

"Natsu, and here you go," the boy smiled as he handed the Chunin the money for his copies, "and have a good day Suzume-Sensei and you as well miss…" Natsu began looking at the purple haired woman, sporting a light blush

"That's no way to ask a lady her name, Gaki!" the strange woman barked a mischievousness in her eyes and a slight grin on her face as she noticed the blush on the Genin' face

"You're right and I apologize," Natsu said with a bow he then came back up smiling kindly at the woman,

"Hello my name is Natsu Uzumaki what is your' name pretty lady?" he asked gaining a chuckle from the woman

"Now that's much better runt, the name's Anko Mitarashi, the snake mistress of Konoha," the now named Anko beamed with pride

"You can call me Anko-sama for now, Runt!" she barked at the boy as she gave a devilish grin, "but if you piss me off no flattery will save you Brat _except maybe Dongo_ ,"

"And don't stare too much if you want a girl to like you," Anko said with a lecherous smirk

"I wasn't staring at you like that, you just seemed familiar," Natsu yelped before rubbing his head sheepishly, " _Damn, I got caught_!"

"Whatever you say, Gaki" Anko said with a knowing smirk

"Ahem, if that's all you should go train before this woman' disreputable behavior rubs off on you," Suzume said with a pointed glare at Anko

"You know you shouldn't judge people on their looks alone especially when that person has such a flamboyant personality, just look at Naruto," Natsu said with small smile that seemed threatening somehow

"All right then have a nice day Anko-Sama and again you Suzume-Sensei," Natsu said as he left with his copies of the scroll and went off to his and Naruto' apartment.

"See yah round Gaki, _hmm kid's ballsier than I thought wonder why he said that_ ," Anko called back smiling

"Please don't shout in the library!" Suzume snarled

"Make me," Anko smirked before the argument was back in full swing

 **~Uzumaki Apartment~**

After leaving the library Natsu' stomach began to growl so he made his way home for some lunch of white rice with boar meat, the boys hunted themselves, and some mixed vegetables and a honey soy sauce he made. Natsu then left a note for his brother on where he would be and what to do with the scrolls on the kitchen table.

 **~Training Grounds~**

After his meal Natsu headed out to the river he had been meditating by and made his way upstream to a waterfall some hundred meters away. The falls were surrounded by large trees and a thick underbrush with a recognizable path leading to the circular basin below the falls that fed the river.

Natsu sat down beneath the water fall and began meditating until he entered his mindscape.

~Natsu' Mind~

"Oi! Kurama-yin, could you show me those other techniques now?" Natsu asked with an excited smile

" **Yeah, I guess I should** ," Kurama-yin replied with a yawn

" **First is the** **Mujin Meisai** ," Kurama-yin said before using the Ram sign and slowly disappearing in a light mist, as though his body had turned into a cloud of dust

Natsu' golden eyes were wide as he watched the technique and saw the chakra cloak envelope Kurama-yin like a blanket and saw how, without his Kitsunegan, Kurama-yin appeared invisible

"Sweet!" Natsu cheered seeing the technique

" **Yes, the second Tsuchikage used it to try and get in close to capture me in the early days of his office** ," Kurama-yin recollected,

" **He didn't know I could see him molding the chakra around him to control the water vapor, now for that Sensing Hexagram Seal Jutsu** ," Kurama-yin said as he placed a hand on the ground forming a six-point star inside a large circle with a small circle at the center

Natsu memorized the sealing array and asked, "So, do I draw this on the ground or put up tags around the guarded area?"

"You draw it on the ground wherever you want," Kurama-yin answered

"Thanks, Kurama-yin," Natsu said smiling before he left the seal

 **~Training Grounds: Waterfall~**

Once he was back in the real world Natsu began practicing his new techniques and their respective battle tactics training. Natsu used the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu to create six clones, who drew the sealing barrier around the area he was using, and began drilling through the hand signs for each of his seven other new techniques for fifteen minutes each getting used to the hand signs and chakra control for the techniques.

The control being much easier as the boys had each mastered the water walking and tree climbing exercises and the leaf balancing exercise even with other objects such as stones and water or while spinning the leaf.

After he felt he had the signs down to a decent speed Natsu began drilling the actual jutsu, using the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu and making twenty clones to practice each technique, trying to get a feel for the chakra he needed to put into each technique so he wouldn't over-do it in the field.

As he drilled Natsu and his clones also came up with a combination of the Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu and the Fūton: Reppūshō in which he threw a single shuriken at a row of ten targets, he had painted, and then activated the two jutsu in rapid succession creating thirty shuriken from the one and then increasing their speed and power burying them into the targets hitting dead center or close to it with three shuriken on each target.

Natsu also worked on sensing the creatures in the nearby forest within the Hexagram his clones had drawn at the start of his training.

Towards the end of his training for the day he sensed a group of five young women coming toward the clearing and waterfall so he quickly grabbed his shuriken and activated his Mujin Meisai to test it' effectiveness against civilians and possible kunoichi, as he felt some were reasonably strong.

The women came out of the tree line with a picnic baskets towels and beach blankets wearing nothing but sexy bikinis and normal shinobi sandals none even noticing the boy.

" _Well this was a successful test of my jutsu_ ," Natsu thought as he ogled the women, who seemed none the wiser of his presence or chakra

" _I should get out of here before this jutsu dies off or falters or something and they catch me 'peeping' on them_!" Natsu thought in a panic not wanting to experience the wrath of these women just as his jutsu failed

" **Looks like you need to work on your' concentration under pressure** ," Kurama Yin snickered as the women caught sight of the young genin trying to get away sending chills down his spine as the glares of the women fell on his back

"Eeep!" Natsu squeaked as the women began chasing him and shouting

"Get back here you little pervert!" a shapely brunette in a tasteful blue bikini shouted as she chased after him her breasts swaying hypnotically as she ran after him.

The other four had circled in front of the boy and had managed to corner him easily, not due to his physical inability to fight back or beat them but more his moral belief that unless in a death match or tournament set up a man shouldn't hit a woman and even then, he should make it quick and painless. So, he allowed them to capture him, they did not over power him or anything like that, no way, in hopes he would be allowed to explain why he was there and what he was doing when they spotted him.

"So, you like peeping on women at the waterfall do yah punk!?" a woman in a pink flower print bikini and long black hair asked, Natsu instinctively knew this woman was the Kunoichi he had sensed,

"Well punk? Explain yourself!" she said as she scowled at the young sweat covered genin.

"Okay I'll explain but please listen and don't interrupt I hate it when people do that and make assumptions of me before I can even talk," Natsu said with a serious tone

"You aren't in a very good position to make demands, Punk" the woman said

"Do you want the truth or just your' own mixed up and wild accusations!" Natsu barked at the strange women

"Fine pervert, just hurry it up already," the woman said with a humph

"I was out here training and practicing some new techniques," Natsu said as he looked at the women,

"I was practicing my sensory ninjutsu when I sensed you five coming so I decided to use the opportunity to test a camouflage justsu seeing as you are a kunoichi I wanted to see how well it worked even with my lack of practice, I found out the hard way though that if I can't keep a lid on my emotions the jutsu will disperse and I will be revealed." Natsu said as the women glared

"So you were hiding and peeping on us!" the kunoichi shouted

"I was not peeping!" Natsu shouted back indignantly as he began to use the rope escape technique

"Then what emotions did you need to keep a lid on?" the raven haired woman asked with a smirk as the young Genin began to blush while looking at some very interesting dirt

"Ha! I knew it," the woman shouted

"Wait I really was testing it and practicing!" Natsu said in a panicked tone

"It's just… when you all arrived I saw how beautiful you were and couldn't help but stare, that's when my jutsu fell and you started chasing me," Natsu explained with a sheepish blush

"Prove it, what were you practicing kid?" the Kunoichi asked, Natsu handed her the list of jutsu from his pocket and she laughed, "So you think you can do any of these? They are all difficult techniques!"

"I can do them all and more," Natsu said with a snarl his embarrassment forgotten in his pride

"Fine then I want you to use the Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu and hit every target there, dead center," the Kunoichi said with a smirk

"Fine!" Natsu said defiantly

He pulled out a single shuriken and threw it and wove the hand signs for the jutsu and Fūton: Reppūshō, the added effect increasing the accuracy and power of the Shuriken Clones. Each one hitting their mark astonishing the Kunoichi and her friends.

"Okay then you practiced those two but I still don't believe the others," she smirked

"Did you see me at first?" Natsu asked with a glare,

"No? then believe the Mujin Meisai and the Shunshin I would use it but then you wouldn't believe that I wasn't peeping on you."

The women looked around sheepishly at being called out so the Kunoichi looked at him with a stern glare, "Fine I guess we will believe your' story now leave so we can enjoy ourselves!" She barked and Natsu knew it was a stroke of luck.

He then grabbed his real shuriken from the targets and used the Konoha Shunshin to get back to his apartmtment

 **~Uzumaki Apartment~**

Natsu walked into the apartment and removed his shoes before looking around but found no one else in the apartment.

"That's weird, I could have sworn that I sensed his chakra when I got here?" Natsu groaned

He was really confused now as he kept feeling Naruto' chakra but couldn't see him.

"I know!" Natsu cheered before he blinked, activating his Kitsunegan,

"There you are!" Natsu shouted seeing a human shaped shell of chakra

"Damn! Guess you found me," Naruto said with a wide grin as he dropped his jutsu

"What jutsu was that?" Natsu asked trying to figure out the jutsu

"It's the Tōton Jutsu it was made by Jiraiya of the Sannin, although Kurama-yang didn't say why and I know he knows because he keeps snickering whenever I ask!" Naruto explained before he groaned at the antics of his tenant

"Cool, guess they were trying to keep us even cause Kurama-yin taught me the, Mujin Meisa, which is the same as your' technique but mine is a Suiton Jutsu while yours seems to be a normal chakra release," Natsu said with a wide grin as he disappeared in a 'cloud of dust'

"Cool jutsu now we just need some practice," Naruto said smiling before he saw Nastu' face pale, "What happened?"

"I was training while you were at the Hyuuga's and was caught by a Kunoichi and her friends near the river after my Mujin Meisa dropped and they thought I was peeping," Natsu explained while he started blushing like a tomato

"So, you were training, then saw a peeping opportunity, took it, and got caught," Naruto deadpanned while Natsu blushed even further

"You are so hopeless, we really need to find you a girlfriend," Naruto sighed before he started laughing at his brother for the situation

Quickly changing the topic Natsu asked, "How'd lunch with the Hyuugas go?"

"Pretty well, Hiashi knew about us and our parents and had me tell Hinata and her younger sister about us and Kurama," Naruto said nonchalantly letting go of the old topic, for now, while his brother gaped at him

"Are you insane!" Natsu shouted, "The Hokage said we couldn't tell anyone!"

"I know but Hiashi had special permission from the Hokage due to mine and Hinata' relationship and explained that she deserves to know everything about me and vice versa," Naruto explained the logic obliterating Natsu' argument

"Alright and how are the techniques coming?" Natsu continued

"Well I can only practice the Tōton Jutsu in the apartment and that's if I concentrate like crazy!" Naruto complained

"Trust me, best to test it now, rather than later," Natsu muttered with a small shiver

"Right, but I haven't had more than an hour to read through them and get the hand signs," Naruto said

"Well then after dinner we need to do our physical training and then in the morning we both have meetings with the Hokage regarding our files and our skills," Natsu said with a smile as he began making some roast boar and vegie ramen with a vegetable broth and brown rice noodles, for added health benefits.

"Okay bro I'll wash up for dinner and get my weights on," Naruto said as he headed into the bathroom

After the meal, the boys did twenty laps around the village three hundred sit ups, push-ups, squats, and then some Taijutsu sparring with their clones for the next three hours finishing up around 9 P.M. exhausted.

 **~The Next Morning 10 A.M. Hokage Tower~**

"Natsu you have shown a great deal of improvement in these recent years and even more so in the last few days," the Hokage praised, "Now we just need to go over a few things regarding your' paperwork and your current skill level,"

"Well I have learned quite a few new ninjutsu, me and the Kyuubi are on speaking terms, and I have learned that I am a sensory ninja and have a couple of sensory Ninjutsu," Natsu said as though it were no big deal

"Wait, what did you say?" the Hokage asked

"I learned some kickass ninjtsu," Natsu said with a smirk

"No after that!" Iruka shouted a little annoyed by the obvious antic

"Oh!" Natsu feigned realization, "The Sensory Jutsu?"

"No! You and the Kyuubi are speaking?" Hiruzen shouted in shock

"Yeah, me and the Kyuubi speak from time to time and the fact that he told me of that night 12 years ago and has trained me to be much stronger than I was before," Natsu said with pride

"You mean the Kyuubi is conscious and is helping you?" Hiruzen asked a look of utter disbelief on his face

"Yeah apparently, he was hypnotized by a powerful Uchiha and forced to attack the village after he was forced from my mother' seal," Natsu said with a frown,

"He has made me stronger, helped me cope with the information, and has enhanced mine and Naruto' training, and given us both a powerful Dojutsu only accessible by the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi," Natsu said with a smile

"I don't believe it but I know you wouldn't lie about something like this Natsu," Hiruzen said still in disbelief, "Can you show me this jutsu?"

"Of course Lord Third," Natsu said with an eye smile opening them he activated the Dojutsu and his pupils became slits and his irises turned a gold.

"Impressive," Hiruzen said as he looked at the Dojutsu with it' piercing demonic eyes

"They are impressive but slightly unnerving," Iruka said a chill running down his spine as Natsu disengaged the Dojutsu

"That's why I hid them with contacts so as not to scare anyone while I used the Dojutsu," Natsu explained as he looked back at the Shinobi

"So, until recently you hid them but have decided since then to use it proudly?" Iruka asked

"Yeah, I figured that now that I am a Genin and am stronger I shouldn't worry especially since the civilian council can't touch me now," Natsu said with a mischievous grin

"I guess that is correct," Hiruzen sighed at the boy' antics

"Yes, well, thank you for coming you are dismissed just be at the academy tomorrow for your' team assignment," the Third Hokage said with a fatherly smile,

"Now, send in your' brother." Natsu bowed to the shinobi as he left and sent Naruto in

"Mornin' Old Man!" Naruto shouted as he walked in his hands laced behind his head and a wide cocky grin on his face

"Naruto!" Iruka shouted, "That is no way to speak to the Hokage! He is the great leader of our village and deserves your' respect!"

"So what if he is?" Naruto said annoyed,

"I'm gonna be a better Hokage than him or any of 'em!" Naruto shouted as he stood up and waved his hand across the air in front of him and brought it up into a fist that began to tremble in excitement, "To be Hokage, that is my dream!"

"Ha!" The Hokage chuckled at the boy, "Yes, I suppose you have the potential to be Hokage, if you don't slack off in your' training and if you two forge bonds of friendship with the people of this village. They may hate you boys now but one day I'm sure that you both will become loved by this village, just like your' father once did. But, know this Naruto, people don't change that easily and many will take incredible convincing, but they too will one day accept you both,"

"Thanks, Jiji!" Naruto said with a smile as he sat back down

"Well now that that's out of the way let's discuss your' papers Naruto," Iruka said smiling at the boy as he read the documents they had on the young Jinchuriki,

"You weren't last in the class but you weren't the best in the mental aspects of the academy but in the physical aspects of the academy you were in the top five just below Sasuke and Kiba who had their clan' Taijutsu techniques." Iruka elaborated

"Well that's very impressive Naruto," Hiruzen beamed at the boy, "and with that Dojutsu your' brother showed us you have an incredible variety of Ninjutsu at your' disposal."

"Thanks Old Man!" Naruto said with a smile, " _I guess Natsu didn't mention some of the finer points like the Genjutsu or the Fuinjutsu and Taijutsu mastery skill_ ,"

"Oh I got an original Jutsu also, wanna see?" Naruto asked as the Hokage looked over the papers.

"Sure that sounds intriguing Naruto," both men said as Naruto stood up and made the hand signs for the Henge no Jutsu

"Sexy Jutsu!" Naruto shouted as a poof of white smoke appeared spiraling around him, his body becoming that of an extremely sexy and Naked female version of Naruto, called Naruko.

"So, what do you think?" Naruko asked with a sexy pout releasing the jutsu and reverting to his male smiling self as he saw that both Iruka and the Hokage had fainted from a nosebleed caused by the technique

"So, that's your' Sexy Jutsu that's very tricky much to tricky don't do it again!" the Hokage barked, " _At least not to me_ "

As the Hokage cleaned the blood from his nose Naruto noticed a slight presence at the doorway as did Hiruzen who glanced over at the door just as a young boy came running in.

The child wore a yellow T-Shirt with the village symbol in red across the front, a long blue scarf that reached his feet, a pair of grey shorts, a pair of blue sandals, his hair was held up in a spiky ponytail on top of his head by a grey helmet with a frowny face on it.

"Old Man I challenge you!" Shouted the young boy,

"I'm going to defeat you and become the Fifth Hokage!" he shouted as he ran forward a shuriken in his right hand until he suddenly tripped on his scarf falling forward hitting his face into the ground,

"owww!" the boy whined in pain

" _My headache of a grandson, Konohamaru_ " Hiruzen thought as the boy slowly got to his knees.

Just then a man ran up to the door huffing slightly as he did. The man wore a Jonin uniform with a bandana style headband and circular tinted glasses and finally a pair of blue shoes.

"Gah, something tripped me," said the young boy as he rubbed his nose

"Are you okay Honorable Grandson?" the strange man asked,

"and by the way there's nothing here for you to trip on it's pretty flat," the man grumbled to the boy and his explanation

" _Who's this shrimp_?" Naruto thought with a questioning look on his face

" _Huh, it's that kid_!" the Jonin thought in surprise as he noted Naruto in the room,

" _If he's here then, where is the other one!?_ " the Jonin thought in panic looking around frantically

" _Of course, he's the vessel to the Kyuubi no Kitsune the worst type of trouble maker,_ " the Jonin smirked

"Alright, you're the one who tripped me aren't you!?" the young boy shouted as he stepped up to Naruto

"Grrr, you tripped over your' that stupidly long scarf, Dork!" Naruto growled as he grabbed the boy by the scruff of his scarf and lifted him up readying a fist

"Hey you take your' hands off him!" commanded the unnamed Jonin,

"Don't you know who he is? That is the honorable grandson of the honorable Sandaime Hokage!" the Jonin shouted motioning to the Hokage behind the desk

" _That stopped him, just like all the others_ ," thought the boy,

" _hmph, now that he knows who I am he won't dare to lay a finger on me_ ," the boy laughed in his mind cocky grin on his face,

"What's the matter huh? I thought you were gonna hit me tough guy! What are you afraid because the third hokage is my grandfather!?" taunted the ignorant boy

"I don't care if he's your' grandmother! Believe it!" Naruto shouted knocking him out with a punch to the head

"Gah! _This guy's…different_ ," the boy thought as he fell into unconsciousness

" _This is not looking good_ ," Hiruzen thought as the unnamed Jonin began to freak out

 **~Time Skip 5 minutes~**

"Listen carefully you are the honorable grandson of the honorable Sandaime Hokage you cannot let riffraff like that pull you into a fight even though he deserves it," the Jonin said to the young boy who simply looked ahead deep in thought as the Jonin continued,

"You see he's far beneath you so you mustn't stoop to his level as I am your' elite ninja trainer I am never wrong which means I am always right. I am far above the other trainers which means you should head my every word," the Jonin continued in his better than though tone,

"Your' goal is to become the next Hokage and I can teach you the best way to do it, indeed due to my great skill I can take you quickly and easily to the top but, you must always stay close to me," the Jonin continued getting on the nerves of the Hokage and Iruka who were now alone in the room with the egotistical prick of a Jonin,

"You understand don't you, honorable grandson?" he said looking over to see the young boy and Naruto gone,

"Aaahhh, where did he go!?" the Jonin shouted in shock

"I think he followed Naruto but, I've no idea where they are going," the Sandaime Hokage said flatly

"What? he's with Naruto!?" the Jonin shouted in shock,

"This is a disaster!" He shouted as he ran from the room looking for the two boys

" _Ugh, how did he grow up to be like that_?" Hiruzen thought,

" _My grandson is quite persistent, that was his twentieth sneak attack today, and if he starts running around with Naruto he is sure to get even worse! Naruto wouldn't teach him anything really bad, would he_?" the hokage wondered,

" _And that Ebisu I could sense the hatred he had for Naruto the entire time he was here and his eyes, they held the freezing glare of someone who has disavowed the existence of someone._ "

 **~With Naruto~**

Naruto was walking down the road heading out to a training area as he noticed he was being followed by someone, who was very bad at shadowing others.

Naruto continued on like nothing was happening then stopped and turned back seeing a sheet ball with a pair of feet underneath it, turning back with his eyebrow twitching and he walked on. As he continued he noticed the same person still following him.

Naruto suddenly stopped and as he turned the follower again failed at trying to hide himself by pulling up the same sheet but on this side, it was made to look like a fence but the boards were put on horizontally instead of vertically and he didn't pull it up past his head.

"I know you're following me so you can quit it already!" Naruto shouted while pointing at the young boy

"heh heh, saw through my disguise huh," said the young boy as he dropped the sheet,

"The rumors about you are true, you're good! Alright I'll be your' apprentice and you'll be my trainer!" the boy shouted pointing at Naruto

"Huh!?" Naruto grumbled as he looked at the boy in disbelief

"I want you to teach me that Sexy Justsu you used on Grandpa Hokage!" The boy shouted

"This is a joke, right?" Naruto asked looking down with his arms crossed

"No, I need a new trainer please, Boss!" the young boy whined trying to play to the older boys ego

"Boss huh?" Naruto mused as he looked at the boy curiously,

"Well then I guess I can help you out and teach you the technique," Naruto smiled

"Hooray!" the boy shouted

The two began walking around town and helping the young, still nameless boy work on his Henge no Jutsu so he could use the Sexy Jutsu.

Naruto started by having the young boy transform into a random girl off the street. She wore a blue Kimono with a purple obi, she had long brown hair worn in a ponytail that reached her lower back and was very attractive.

"So how do I look," the boy asked as he had transformed into a much fatter and disproportioned version of the girl with a unibrow and two different sized eyes

"The clothes are right…" Naruto began but was cut off as said woman came up and punched the blonde Genin before he could explain the flaws of the honorable grandson' technique

"Now remember Honorable Grandson next time you transform into me make it a lot cuter," she said with a sweet smile

"You did it, why am I the one who got hit?" Naruto asked aloud a bulging bruise on his head while the Honorable Grandson just looked down disappointed in himself

The boys then went to a local news stand and began looking through some of the unmentionable magazines and lingerie catalogs and such. After a few minutes of this the boys felt a presence behind them.

"Na-Ru-To!" the shopkeeper said as he patted his duster on his back before he began beating Naruto with it while the two boys ran out, Naruto, now sporting a new bump on his head

The two then decided to test what the boy had learned through an infiltration exercise as Naruto put it. The boys decided to go to the local bath house using the Henge no Jutsu to appear as female versions of themselves the Honorable Grandson' still being disproportionate and chubby. The pair of perverts walked into the women' bath and were promptly found out.

"Naruto! Get out!" the girls all shouted as they began throwing various things at the two and throwing punches at Naruto

"Why is it that you do all of it and I'm the one they beat up?" Naruto asked

"It's because I'm the Honorable Grandson and they're all afraid to hurt me out of fear of incurring my grandfather' wrath," the boy said with a frown on his face until he felt a hand on his head

"It's okay I don't mind," Naruto said with a smile and several bumps visible on his face,

"I prepared your' Henge no Jutsu skills so you can learn the Sexy Jutsu, now all you need is practice!" he said smiling at the young boy

"Alright Boss!" the boy said excitedly and after a few hours the boys then left to a clearing, with a soda machine in it for some reason

Unbeknownst to the boys the Honorable Grandsons Jonin instructor was looking for them.

"Anyone who comes between me and my student will be crushed!" the Jonin growled coldly as he Shunshined off to search for the boys

 **~With Naruto and the Honorable Grandson~**

Naruto was sitting with the Honorable Grandson having a drink and taking a break

"So, what's up with this obsession you have with the Old Man?" Naruto asked while taking a sip of his juice

"My grandfather named me Konohamaru, the ancient name of the village, so it should be easy for them to remember but, no one ever calls me that they only call me the Honorable Grandson of the honorable Sandaime Hokage. It's like when they look at me they don't see me they see my grandfather in some respect and try to honor him with my title and not my name," the boy said sadly,

"I can't stand being invisible that's why I have to beat him and become the Fifth Hokage! That way people will start to see me as me and not just the Honorable Grandson." at the remark Naruto began to chuckle

"What's so funny!?" Konohamaru asked upset that Naruto was laughing at his dream

"Get real, you think people will accept a squirt like you as Hokage," Naruto said a mix of amusement and seriousness in his voice, "an academy student can't become a Hokage after a single night!"

"What!" Konohamaru shouted standing up and clenching his fist

"It's not that simple," Naruto began with low level of passion,

"You keep saying Hokage, Hokage, like it will magically happen if you say it enough. To really become Hokage you know what you'll have to do?" Naruto said a fox like smirk on his face and a burning passion in his eyes

"No, what?" Konohamaru asked wondering what it could be

"You'll have to defeat me in battle!" Naruto said with a wide toothy smile. Konohamaru' eyes widening in surprise and excitement

"So, this is where you two have been hiding?" the still nameless Jonin said from a tree branch behind the two, " _Hmph the Kyuubi brat,_ "

"Ebisu-Sensei!" Konohamaru shouted at the sight of his teacher

" _That icy stare they all look at me like that_ ," Naruto thought with a look of discomfort across his face

"Honorable grandson it's time to go home," Ebisu said flatly

"No way!" Konohamaru shouted,

"I'm learning how to beat my grandfather so I can get the title and become Hokage! Now don't get in my way!" Konohamaru shouted his voice cracking slightly

"A hokage is more than just a fighter. He must know: Virtue, Honor. Wisdom, and be skilled in over a thousand Jutsu. While you don't even know one." Ebisu said with a self-obsessed tone in his voice

At that Konohamaru growled and made the Ram hand sign shouting,

"Henge no Jutsu!" surprising Ebisu and using the Sexy Jutsu

"Hi there, like my new Jutsu?" Konohamaru said with in a sultry voice with a wink, the display stunning Ebisu who had a look of utter disbelief on his face

"Awe man he wasn't defeated!" Konohamaru whined returning to his normal state

"Wh-wha-What kind of scandalous technique is that!?" Ebisu shouted at the display a face full of shock,

"Such tasteless vulgarity could never influence me!" he said with his better than though voice glaring at Naruto

"Honorable Grandson stop this! Naruto is turning you into a delinquent! Ebisu began to ramble as he continued to insult Naruto and pulled on Konohamaru' scarf,

"Only my training can put you on the fast track to becoming Hokage!" he yelled pissing Naruto of more and more with every loud mouthed, arrogant sentence.

Naruto used a combination of the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu and the Sexy Jutsu creating the Harem Jutsu as Ebisu stood frozen in the field of Narukos. The technique caused Ebisu to rocket back with a nosebleed

"Ah man, I can't believe I couldn't even beat that snobby trainer of mine!" Konohamaru groaned, "I want to be Hokage so bad but I keep messing up! Why am I so lame?"

"Do you really think it's that easy?" Naruto asked the boy a quizzical look on his face

"Huh?" Konohamaru asked

"To be Hokage you have to be the greatest of all Ninja. You have to prove yourself to everyone again and again until they believe in you," Naruto said a serious look on his face but sorrow deep in his eyes,

"Look at me, I've been through a lot already. I have been ignored, beaten, left out, pushed away, and treated like a general nuisance or Demon by the whole village. I had to go through all of that to find One person, besides my brother, who believes in me and to find that one person it took me and my brother fourteen years! So, you better be ready." Naruto said with a stern smile

"For what?" Konohamaru asked with uncertainty and curiosity in his voice

"For a whole lot of: Blood, Sweat, and Tears, while you learn to become a ninja," Naruto said with a smile facing away from the boy as he turned back he said,

"By the way there is no easy way to becoming Hokage, Believe it!" He said with his trade mark grin and a thumbs-up.

"Well then from now on we're rivals for the spot of Fifth Hokage!" Konohamaru said with a serious look on his face

"Ha, I start my advanced Ninja training tomorrow but, I accept your challenge and someday we'll fight for the title of Lord Hokage. So, let's both look forward to that day, Konohamaru" Naruto said as he smiled at the young boy he raised his fist toward him. Konohamaru instantly recognized the gesture and gave Naruto a fist bump.

From his desk, back at Hokage tower, Hiruzen smiled sagely at his crystal ball, having seen the entire ordeal, "Thank you, Naruto-kun,"

 **Wow that was a long chapter over 14,000 words with my bullshit talk! I'm sorry for taking so long to update the story but I am job hunting. Hope you enjoyed it and I know there was a bunch of filler but I needed it for character building, Jutsu power ups, and some later crap so deal! See you all next time with another issue of The Adventures of Naruto and Natsu Uzumaki!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait, I hope you enjoy this update. I really need some comments though all I have are four people who keep recommenting, thank them for their comments but DAMN! I want more call me greedy but I enjoy knowing you're smiling behind that text box.** **Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 5: Challenge Accepted!**

Natsu and Naruto woke up early the following morning excited for what was to come. Today was the day they were going to be assigned to both their teams. The boys couldn't wait to show off their skills to their sensei and prove they were worthy of their headbands.

Natsu made the boys a quick breakfast of eggs and sausage with some toast. After which the boys put on their normal gear with their weights adding an extra ten kilograms making it a total of 100 kilograms.

"Who do you think will be on our team?" Naruto asked as he mentally went through the list of passing students

"I'm not sure," Natsu answered as he thought it out himself, "I kinda hope Ino or Hinata are on our team."

"Yeah but, like you said, it could be anyone since we were in the middle thanks to our skills on the books," Naruto said with a smile

"You mean your' skills I did better than you on the written tests I just kept my answers towards the middle on purpose," Natsu explained exasperated

The boys then left for the academy unbeknownst to them both the Sandaime Hokage and Kakashi, in that moment, had just arrived in the apartment the boys shared.

Looking around and making judgements on how the boys would act based on the state of the apartment. The fridge had food still within it' prime and was in a good variety ensuring a healthy diet. Natsu also made sure the small two room apartment was kept clean and tidy even though Naruto constantly threw his clothes everywhere or would forget to make his bed due to his excitement for the day and what it would hold.

"So, this is where they live?" Kakashi asked looking around as he noticed some items left across the table but nothing of real value to him. He noticed the dishes still in the sink but soaking meaning the boys had slightly rushed for some reason.

"Yes, this is the apartment we could give to the boys when they became old enough," Hiruzen nodded looking around the familiar room

"Hmm," Kakashi mused still looking around, "It seems that Natsu either picks up the messes as they appear or will make Naruto pick up as well."

"Let's go, you still have the others to inspect," Hiruzen said as the two left out the window heading for the homes of the other two Genin to be placed under Kakashi' wing

 **~With the Brothers~**

Once they reached the academy Natsu and Naruto made their way inside and to their classromm, one last time, where they were greeted by a cacophony of chatter, laughter, munching, and faint snoring from the fresh Genin.

The boys took seats at the front smiling proudly as they sat down listening in on various gossip from around the room trying to train and sharpen their senses by flowing chakra into their ears, like the Inuzuka and their incredible sense of smell. A few moments later Natsu heard the approach of two people coming in fast, angry, and arguing about who was better.

"Heads up," Natsu whispered to his brother who looked to the door as Ino and Sakura burst into the room shoulder to shoulder and huffing from over exerting themselves in their stupid contest.

The girls were wearing their usual outfits, and were now arguing about who had gotten there first and who would thus be given the honor of sitting next to Sasuke, the Emo wonder, other girls who had already been in the room also joined in the argument.

Hinata came in during this ordeal and took her seat next to Naruto hugging his arm and giving him a peck on the cheek while smiling. The action causing those not completely enthralled by the chick fight, which was getting more and more intense, as though a fire had been set beneath most of the Kunoichi in the room, were now completely flabbergasted by the simple display of affection by the adorable and 'shy' Hinata and especially by the fact that Naruto was the one on the receiving end of the kiss.

As the argument began to reach critical bitchitude Iruka waked in and began reigning in the classroom.

"Hey! Settle down now!" Iruka shouted, "It's time for me to assign you your' team members and later your' Jonin sensei!"

The room became quiet as Sakura quickly took the seat nearest Sasuke and the rest simply took seats as close as they could around him.

"Now then the teams are as follows," Iruka said listing the teams until, "Team 7: Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, Naruto Uzumaki, and, due to special circumstances, Natsu Uzumaki!"

"Yes!" Sakura cheered flashing the victory sign at Ino until she heard Naruto and Natsu' names called causing her to whine, "Oh no!"

"No worries we won't bother you or Bite," Natsu said with a kind then mischievous smile at the girl

"Hey!" Kiba called apparently upset by the team assignment of Team 7

"Yes Kiba, What's wrong?" Iruka asked unsure why the young Inuzuka heir was upset

"Why do they get four members when the rest of us only get three plus a Jonin!?" Kiba asked with a growl of discontent Akamaru barking in emphasis of his master' question

"Easy Kiba, Team 7 has an extra Genin because he was the odd man out and because his brother was already placed on the team," Iruka said simply with a light smile

"Oh well, it's still unfair even if he's the odd man out," muttered Kiba as he crossed his arms and pouted slightly into his shoulder

"Well there are two things wrong with your' analysis Kiba," Iruka said taking the opportunity for one final lesson,

"First, would it be more fair for Natsu to be the only member of a team and be put into danger for lack of backup?"

"I guess it would be about the same," Kiba said after some thought Akamaru giving a quick nod

"Exactly!" Iruka barked, "Secondly, Life isn't fair and it's better for you to learn that now than learn the hard way later," Iruka said with a knowing smile,

"Now next up Team 8: Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, Hinata Hyuuga!" the team getting no real reactions from the members.

"Now, last but not least, Team 10: Ino Yamanaka, Choji Akamichi, and Shikamaru Nara" Iruka said

"Why me! _While Sakura gets to be on a team with Sasuke I'm stuck with this lazy ass and the food boy!_ " Ino shouted in her mind,

"At least it isn't that annoying Natsu or his prank fluent brother," she mumbled out loud

"Sweet we're on the same team!" Naruto shouted

"Of course, we're special cases after all," Natsu said winking at Hinata who nodded with a knowing smile

"Okay people!" Iruka called, "You all have a one hour break for lunch, I'd suggest using it to get to know your' team members your' Jonin senseis will arrive after that, Dismissed!"

"So Sasuke," Natsu said "I know you're all 'Revenge is the only answer against that certain someone who changed me forever!' but do you want to eat with us so we can prove to you at least Naruto is a good rival or do you want to go sit in the dark and scowl at a blank wall?" Natsu asked with his trademark mischievous grin

"What do you know about anything Loser!?" Sasuke barked back

"That Ino will and Sakura will faint week one if they keep up their 'diets'," Natsu said air quoting the last part loud enough for the entire room to hear him

"I meant about me!" Sasuke said coldly

"Oh, that if you let revenge consume you, one day, your' mission complete, you will find that you are nothing but a shell of what you thought you were, with nothing left to live for and almost no one to comfort you. Trust me, I'm the foremost authority on hate," Natsu said with a melancholic tone

"Fuck you!" Sasuke roared as he left the room to go brood somewhere

"No thanks, I don't swing that way!" Natsu called after the pissed off emo who only growled in response

"Hey don't talk to Sasuke-Kun like that!" Sakura shouted

"Oh sorry I just can't help but to challenge other Alpha-esque people," Natsu apologized weakly,

"But I was serious about you actually eating, a diet doesn't go well with advanced Ninja training and I could tell you barely have lasted in the basic training up to now," Natsu said with a serious look and his hands clasped in front of him.

"Shut it! You don't get to lecture me and bad mouth Sasuke-Kun!" squeaked Sakura in anger, " _Cha!_ " shouted inner Sakura,

"Yeah," Ino shouted coming up to Natsu, "Where do you get off lecturing us about how we eat when all you guys eat is Ramen!"

"Do you know why you used to see us eating so much ramen?" Naruto asked dangerously, both girls shook their heads in the negative,

"Teuchi and Ayame are the only people who would let us eat at their restaurant and will give us a fair price. The shopkeepers will only sell us expired food or charge us almost four times as much!" Naruto shouted before he stormed out of the room

"I am sorry but everything I have said is the truth and deep down you know it!" Natsu said pointing at the girl, "At least you know what I said about your diet is true,"

"Like we would believe that!" Sakura countered weakly with Ino nodding

"You should!" Natsu shouted, "I know a thing or two about nutrition, since I have to cook at home and make sure we don't die of food poisoning every meal! So, listen when I say that a diet is detrimental to your' growth as Kunoichi and could end up killing you!"

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked confused as all her books said a diet was best in this situation, Ino just as confused

"The more advanced training is more taxing and burns more calories so you would basically retain the calories that you are now with your diet but from full meals," Natsu said simply to the stupid girl, "And if you feint on a C-Rank or above because you didn't eat you could be killed by a fall or by enemies!"

"You mean I don't need to Diet!?" Sakura nearly shouted " _Cha, finally some real food_!" shouted inner Sakura

"I never thought of it like that," Ino said with a happy smile

"I thought you were smart enough to realize that fact on your' own though," Natsu said flatly the girls flinching at the jab to her pride

"You guys have also ignored what we said about ourselves, thanks now I need to go find Naruto and calm him down," Natsu said as he turned to leave, only for Sakura to grab his shoulder

"I guess I owe you, for the advice, I'll help you find him, Cha!" she shouted inner Sakura coming to the surface a bit

"I'm sorry too so I'll come with you after I tell Choji and Shikamaru what's up," Ino said with a slight frown

"Careful you two if you keep frowning like that you'll get wrinkles," Natsu smiled, telling them both he had forgiven them

 **~Outside: Academy Grounds~**

The three hurried outside, joined by Choji and Shikamaru, who said they owed Naruto one for all the times he got Iruka-sensei off their backs, and made their way to some cement benches by a cut off hill that ended at the walkway beneath the benches.

The group found Naruto sitting under the shade of a nearby tree. His eyes were closed but his face was still scrunched in anger. Natsu shook his head as the group approached.

"What am I going to do with you?" Natsu asked his unresponsive brother

"I don't know," Naruto groaned, looking up at his brother before sending a cold glare toward the others

"Why are they here? Did they need to bitch at me some more?" Naruto growled angrily

"Actually they helped me find you and wanted to apologize," Natsu said with a smug look while Naruto gaped at his brother then the group

"Geez, I thought I was the cynical one?" Natsu said with a laugh while Sakura and Ino came closer

"We're sorry Naruto-kun," Sakura said with an apologetic look

"Yeah, you guys were only trying to help us but we couldn't look passed our feelings for Sasuke-kun to hear you," Ino added equally apologetic

"I guess I can forgive you for it, _Can't really blame them with how ignorant most are to it and with that law_ ," Naruto said with a pout before he was shoved by Natsu

"Troublesome," Shikamaru grumbled

"Can we eat now?" Choji asked, already snacking on some potato chips

"Sure guys," Natsu said smiling as he pulled out a large bento box with some extra food to share

"Where did you get all that?" Ino asked looking at the food, a little hungrier than normal

"I made it," Natsu said nonchalantly

"How? I thought you couldn't buy fresh food?" Sakura asked in shock, " _It looks so good though, Cha!_ "

"We recently realized that in the civilian stores we can use our Henge no Jutsu to get a fair shake in town," Naruto grumbled his happy mood once again replaced, for the moment

"Ah, shut up!" Natsu groaned smacking Naruto on the back of the head

"What the crap, Natsu!?" Naruto shouted holding his bruised head

"It doesn't matter, all that matters is that right now, we have friends, food, and our ambitions," Natsu said with a serious tone smiling

"I guess you're right," Naruto said with his usual smile, "Let's have some fun,"

The group was joined by Hinata and her team. Everybody started chatting and having fun. Hinata sat with Naruto' arm around her and a smile across her face.

"So, you guys only prank people when they mess with you or when they messed with others?" Sakura asked confused as her parents had told her that it was the other way around and that the two boys were nothing but trouble makers

"Yeah it was usually us being messed with but if we had a soft spot for someone or had seen them get beat up hard, we would get them back with something truly devilish!" Naruto said with an excited laugh he and Natsu smiling at the memories

The others all made a mental note not to piss the two off anymore, except Hinata, who knew she was exempt.

"Well that's news to me," Ino said with a pout and a sip of tea,

"I was told that you guys would prank and then people went after you never that it was provoked," Sakura said, perplexed

"Yeah no one would think we were provoked or that we needed a reason to prank, no they just think we prank for kicks or for reasons unknown," Natsu said to the girl taking a bite of a red bean rice ball

"Hm, well why are you guys so bad at talking to others?" Shikamaru asked with a tilt of her head

"Have you ever seen someone walk up to us and start having a conversation?" Natsu asked, when the others shook their head in the negative,

"No, because the adults hate us and they tell their kids to avoid us, thus most do," Natsu growled slightly his anger dissipating instantly

"I guess you're right," Sakura said apologetically,

"I'm sorry that we never gave you a chance," she said truly sorry for her actions

"Don't worry about it Sakura, we understand that your' parents are a great influence on how you see others growing up," Naruto finished smiling

The others nodded each looking a little unsure, except Hinata, who hugged Naruto a little closer

The Rookie nine finished their lunch after that and went back inside. Unbeknownst to the group of newly teamed Genin their final member had been watching them from a window of the academy above. In his hand was a crushed rice ball his face contorted in anger, for some reason.

 **~Academy Building: Room 201~**

The four Genin of Team 7 were waiting for their Jonin Sensei to arrive and for their careers as Genin to begin. Their Sensei was at present still under an hour late but, the other teams had already gone off to begin training in advanced techniques.

Team 7 was dealing with their sensei' tardiness in different ways. Naruto was pacing on the roof using the Tree Climbing Exercise, Sakura was watching Naruto in amazement not understanding how the boy could walk on the roof, Sasuke was acting aloof but was glancing up at Naruto every few seconds trying to figure out the technique the boy was using, and Natsu was contemplating if he should go looking for their sensei or to prank him somehow.

Natsu looked over at his two teammates smirking at their amazement, " _Think I should tell them?_ "

" **It couldn't hurt, plus if you can prove able to teach the Uchiha something new every now and again you may be able to win his favor** ," Kurama-yin growled in light disgust, Kurama understood why but he still really hated the Uchiha for their past acts against him,

" _Yeah, that will help us one day._ Hey Sasuke, Sakura, you guys wanna learn?" Natsu asked motioning to his brother, who was also mulling over prank ideas

"You would teach us?" Sakura asked surprised Sasuke didn't respond but his attention was now on the red haired Uzumaki

"Of course, what are teammates for?" Natsu replied both then nodded and followed Natsu over to the shorter wall in the room

"Now, what you do is channel chakra to the soles of your' feet, the hardest place to transfer it too, and then you walk up the wall, or any solid surface, using your' chakra to stick to it," Natsu explained before he stepped up to the wall and began walking up it

"Just to be clear, if you use too much you'll fly off and damage the wall, too little and you'll fall off. Sakura you'll have it easier as your' reserves are much smaller and less dense, Sasuke…" Natsu began before he was interrupted

"Yeah, I get it Dobe, I might have trouble because of my powerful Uchiha chakra," Sasuke said with an arrogant smirk

"Suit yourself," Natsu said with his hands up, before his face split in a smirk as Sasuke fell on his first step

Sakura, as expected, made it up to the roof but soon faltered after a few minutes of standing there. Natsu suggested that she run up and down the taller wall until their Jonin sensei came by. Sasuke didn't want to hear that he needed to use less chakra and take a running start, but still did both after being given the advice.

After another two hours of waiting, and basic training, Team 7 was once again resting amongst the desks, bored out of their minds!

"That's it!" Naruto barked from the roof, "Whenever he gets here he is getting his ass Pranked!"

"No Naruto, you shouldn't, he may have a good reason for being late," Sakura said half heartedly, " _But he does deserve it! Cha_!"

"Fine it'll be a small one," Naruto said grabbing an eraser from the black board and jamming it between the door and door jam in such a way that you couldn't see it when you walked up and if you moved the door it would fall down and powder your' head.

A few minutes later, of course it was just after they gave up on him coming at all, a man with light grey hair, worn in a gravity defying forward wisp, a face mask over the bottom half of his face, his head band worn down over his left eye, and was wearing the basic Jonin outfit of a green flack-jacket and blue Ninja body suit, walked up to the door.

As he opened the door the eraser fell on his head Naruto and Natsu snickered along with both Kuramas in their subconscious at the small but well deserved prank

"I'm really sorry I tried to tell him not to!" Sakura pleaded, barely holding back a smirk with her hands folded in front of herself, " _Cha, Bullseye_!"

Sasuke remained aloof and didn't show any sign of enjoying the prank or not, but he was secretly agreeing with his three teammates

"Hmm, an Emo Punk, a whiny fan-girl, and two knuckle-headed pranksters," Kakashi said flatly with an aloof look on his face, "My first impression of this team, you're all a bunch of morons,"

The students all glared lightly at him for his comments.

"Well enough of that you four meet me on the roof in ten minutes," Kakashi said flatly as he Shunshined away, leaving nothing but a few leaves floating down where he had stood

Naruto did the same soon after leaving behind some leaves himself as he left. Natsu then went to the window and began walking up the wall to the roof each boy showing off their skills to their new sensei.

Sasuke was pissed that Naruto could use the same technique as their JONIN sensei and that Natsu was just walking up the wall to get there, but was still impressed none the less.

Sasuke took off at his top speed to the roof of the academy building while Sakura took Natsu' lead and climbed up the wall, albeit more slowly.

Naruto arrived seconds after Kakashi, thanks to the technique, and a few minutes later Natsu and a drained looking Sakura walked up the wall and came up over the railing. Kakashi' eye widened at the display of the two boys, and Kunoichi, but before he could say anything Sasuke came running up the steps short of breath.

Kakashi eyed the boy and was disappointed in his sprinting ability and stamina but knew full well that the boy would be strong with time and training.

"Well now that we're all here and you've caught your' breath," Kakashi said looking at Sasuke and Sakura, "Let's introduce ourselves, tell me your': names, likes, dislikes, future goals, and anything you think we should know,"

"Could you give us an example so we know how it works?" Sakura asked innocently trying to feign ignorance and failing hard

"Okay then, I am Kakashi Hatake. My likes, I don't want to tell you. My dislikes I won't share either. My dreams I don't have any." Kakashi said looking up at the sky not caring

" _That was useless!"_ the Genin shouted in their minds

"Okay let's start with you on the left with the blonde hair," Kakashi said pointing at Naruto with an emotionless look

"Okay, my name is Naruto Uzumaki! I like instant ramen and my hobby is to compare different types of ramen when Natsu lets me eat a lot. I hate the time it takes to cook ramen. My dream is to become the Greatest Hokage so the whole village will stop disrespecting me and people will finally look up to me!" Naruto barked out with a wide grin on his face his eyes full of hope

"You next," Kakashi said pointing at Natsu still indifferent

"My name is Natsu Uzumaki! My likes are learning new jutsu and training. My hobby is finding new recipes for different foods and ways to hide veggies in ramen," Natsu said smirking at his brother' drop jaw face, "My dream is to become a powerful ninja and help Naruto reach his goal and others to come," Natsu said with a wide grin Kakashi feeling sorry for the boy who had the dream of a parent

"I'm next then!" Sakura squealed, "I'm Sakura Haruno, my likes are…" she trailed off giggling toward Sasuke every time she talked until, "my dislikes are those who spread rumors and those who insult Sasuke-Kun," She said looking somberly toward Naruto and Natsu while anger filled her voice toward the end, "My goal for the future is…(SQUEEEEAAALLLL)"

"You're up, Emo" Kakashi said pointing at Sasuke with a monotone look

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha," he said coldly, "I don't particularly like anything and I hate many things, especially know it all's who won't shut up," he said glaring at Natsu who looked back with a smile, "I will get my revenge on a certain someone and restore the honor of my clan," Sasuke said with a cold glare toward nothing

" _He's still so full of hate, I need to get him off this path or he'll end up destroying himself._ Alright then now that that's out of the way tomorrow we will start your' advanced Ninja training," he said revealing no emotion,

"Meet me at training ground seven tomorrow morning at 6 A.M. sharp," he said a serious tone,

"Oh and don't eat breakfast tomorrow…or you'll puke," he said eye smiling at first then his eye becoming colder as he Shunshined away again leaving leaves and some slightly stunned Genin behind him.

" **You had best eat tomorrow morning or you will be too weak for what he has planned** ," both Kurama said to their respective Jinchuriki

" _I guess that makes sense we don't know what he has planned or if he's just trying to psych us out,_ " Natsu thought back to Kurama Yin

"I don't care what Kakashi-Sensei says I'm eating tomorrow!" Naruto shouted pointing his thumb into his chest and giving the group his trademark grin

"Sounds good Bro!" Natsu said patting Naruto on the head, "I'll make us some rice balls for the morning and some box lunches for tomorrow. You guys want me to make some for you Sasuke, Sakura?"

"No, I'm good my mom will probably make me something, but thank you Natsu," Sakura said politely with a smile

"Okay no problem. What about you Sasuke?" Natsu said smiling at the Emo punk

"I'd rather eat dirt than whatever slop some punk Genin wanna be like you could make," Sasuke growled glaring at both Uzumaki brothers

"Well fine don't get all grouchy because I gave you some sound life advice and tried to give you some food so you wouldn't starve during training tomorrow!" Natsu said arms crossed across his chest barking his reply to Sasuke

"Ha like you would know anything about me, my revenge, or what my accomplishment will do to me," Sasuke said with an cold glare as he turned and walked away

"Don't worry bro he'll come around someday," Naruto said patting his brother on the back smiling at him

" _I think you're the one who will reach him Naruto my words will just fall on deaf ears and never reach him,_ Yeah, I just hope when he does, it's not too late!" Natsu with a somber glance at the last Uchiha

"Well see you tomorrow for training then Sakura remember to eat something and start eating better," Natsu said as he left

"Yeah see yah Sakura!" Naruto said following his brother as they left for their daily training

"Okay see you tomorrow morning!" Sakura said as she left

Up above the four Genin Kakashi sat perched atop a power pole looking down at his students with a calculating eye, "What did he say that made Sasuke so angry?"

"I'll have to ask around," Kakashi sighed as he Shunshined away

 **~Uzumaki Brothers~**

"He's gone," Natsu muttered dropping his hands and ending his sensory Jutsu

"So what do you think tomorrows test will be?" Naruto asked as the boys jumped from building to building heading out to the waterfall outside the village

"I'm not sure, it could be a test or some kind of evaluation of our skills or just training," Natsu said shrugging in an 'I don't know' gesture, "What do you think Kurama Yin you were around our father and his teachings with Kushina, right?"

" **I was around your' mother and I did hear of what Minato was taught and what he taught his students,"** Kurama Yin said as he closed his eyes thinking back to the hell that was Kushina' seal,

" **Yes, from what I can remember your' father used a certain exercise the first day it was to test the teamwork aptitude of the squad he was taught it by the Third Hokage so it is likely this Kakashi Hatake will use the same test on the four of you tomorrow,** " Kurama Yin said shivering at the memories from his former seal

"Well what was it called?" Natsu asked impatiently surprising Naruto, who had not heard the conversation making him almost miss the next ledge,

"What did you yell like that for!?" Naruto shouted

"Sorry bro Kurama Yin was telling me what Kakashi-Sensei was most likely going to pull tomorrow morning," Natsu said rubbing the back of his head as he nervously chuckled toward his brother

"Oh well what is it?" Naruto asked as he tilted his head

" **The bell test** ," Kurama Yin said flatly as he laid down to rest a bit,

" **I remember the bell test requires that you and your' team work together and get the bells no matter what Kakashi says, if you guys work together and get the bells none of you will fail,"** Kurama Yin said as he drifted off to sleep tired

"The bell test," Natsu said,

"We have to get a pair of bells off Kakashi-Sensei' person otherwise we will fail his test I'm not sure what that means but it can't be pleasant," Natsu said with a slight shiver

"Should we go find Sakura and Sasuke and explain or should we just go on and train for the day?" Naruto asked dreading part of the idea

"We can do both we'll just send out some Kage Bunshin," Natsu said as he thought out their next moves carefully,

"Yeah that'll work now we just need to hope that Kakashi-Sensei doesn't know we know otherwise he'll do something that'll throw us for a loop!" Natsu sighed out as he slumped

"You're right, but I'm sure he can't have figured it out already," Naruto said smiling as he clasped his hands behind his head chuckling slightly

"Yeah you're probably right!" Natsu said smiling, "I mean how could he know already or what we are planning?"

The brothers then stopped and sent a Kage Bunshin to each of their teammates.

Unbeknownst to the young Genin, a few rooftops away, the very man they hoped wouldn't hear them stood there reading the latest edition of his favorite book 'Make-out Paradise'.

"Hmm guess these two are a lot more informed than anyone cared to guess," Kakashi said eye smiling,

"This should be interesting to say the least I'll have to up the ante a bit to get these two!" he said chuckling the most malevolent way possible

 **~Training Grounds: Waterfall~**

"Okay so we're upping the numbers again, today we're doing 300 push-ups, sit-ups, and squats then walking up and down the waterfall for half an hour then free climbing for another half hour. After that we'll do twenty laps around the village for the last hour of our training," Natsu said with a broad smile as Naruto sighed

"Are you sure we should be upping the numbers again with Kakashi-Sensei' 'training' tomorrow morning?" Naruto asked air quoting the word training

"Do you want to get a leg up on Sasuke or do you want to get left in the dust of an Uchiha?" Natsu asked with a devilish smirk

"I understand," Naruto said with a sigh,

"Let's get to it then!" he shouted with a thumbs up gesture

"That's what I like to hear!" Natsu said with a smile

 **~Haruno Sweets Shop: Same Time~**

"Hello, is anyone in I need to speak with Sakura!?" Natsu' clone called from the shop entrance

While he waited, he looked around the sweets shop and saw a sponge cake with strawberries and whipped cream. As he eyed the pastry Sakura came into the store front seeing her new teammate she smiled lightly already more comfortable with the boy and his brother, after their talk earlier that day.

"What's up?" Sakura asked coming up behind the distracted Genin noticing what he was looking at

"Not much but I figured out Kakashi-Sensei' plans for tomorrow' 'training' if you want to know," the clone said with a sly grin on his face chuckling lightly

"How!?" Sakura said surprise evident in her voice and across her face, " _Cha_!"

"That doesn't matter but tomorrow we have a teamwork exercise and if we don't pass," Natsu' face went grim, "I don't even want to think about it!"

"Well what does it entail?" Sakura asked tilting her head

"We need to acquire a pair of bells from Kakashi-Sensei' person and no matter what he says we still have to work together or else we fail," Natsu said a little worried

"Well that doesn't sound too difficult," Sakura said with a smile

"You forget Sasuke will never work with me or Naruto even before I said that stuff earlier," Natsu said rubbing the back of his head

"Oh right, but don't worry I mean the stuff you said about me and my dieting was right so you may have a point when it comes to Sasuke," she said reassuringly

"Thanks Sakura well see you tomorrow!" Natsu chirped as he made to leave

"Wait are you sure there isn't something else you would like," Sakura asked her eyes motioning toward the sponge cake Natsu had been eying when she walked in

"Well I guess it would look kind of weird if I came in here and didn't buy any sweets, right?" Natsu said smiling with a slight chuckle

"Exactly!" Sakura chirped, "That'll be twenty ryo"

"Here you go Sakura thanks again and see you tomorrow bright and early!" Natsu said happily as he left with the dessert heading to the apartment before he dispelled

 **~With Natsu~**

"Oh Crap! Sakura is gonna be pissed off when she finds out!" Natsu shouted in worry

"What happened with your' clone?" Naruto asked taking a much needed break

"He bought a cake at her shop," Natsu said in distress

"And?" Naruto asked

"When he dispels the money he payed her does too," Natsu said grimly

"Shit," Naruto murmured as Natsu made a new clone and gave it a very real twenty Ryo bill before sending it away

 **~With Naruto: Uchiha Training Grounds: Same Time~**

Sasuke was practicing his different Katon Ninjutsu on some metal training dummies, trying to melt them with the intense flames, when he felt a presence enter the training grounds

"Grr, who could that?" Sasuke growled annoyed at the unlucky individual who had interrupted his training

Turning around, he was greeted by the grinning blonde knuckle head Naruto Uzumaki

"Hey Sasuke I need to talk to you about tomorrow' training with Kakashi-Sensei," Naruto said cutting to the chase so as not to annoy the irritable Uchiha

"I don't care what you have to say about some stupid training exercise, Got it!?" Sasuke asked glaring at the young boy

"But it's important if we fail Kakashi-Sensei will do something unimaginably horrible to us as punishment!" Naruto whined as Sasuke' glare intensified

"Haven't you heard stupid? Misinformation is worse than no information at all!" Sasuke growled punching 'Naruto' in the face only for him to disappear in a cloud of smoke

"Dobe, like I need any help," Sasuke muttered before he got back to training

 **~Training Grounds: Waterfall~**

"Fine then but don't complain to me tomorrow when you get side winded and the rest of us are fine!" Naruto shouted when he received his clone' memories

"Sasuke not go for it?" Natsu asked, stating the obvious

"Nope, punched me in the face too," Naruto groaned

"Well then get to training! We need to be stronger if your' gonna be Hokage someday!" Natsu shouted pushing them through their last few squats

 **~Uzumaki Apartment: 3 hours Later~**

Natsu was in the kitchen section of the apartment cooking a dinner of chicken over rice with mixed vegetables and the cake he had bought earlier for dessert. He was just finishing up the food when Naruto walked in from the bathroom

"Feel better now that you've had a bath?" Natsu asked

"Yeah, I still can't believe the Teme' pride though," Naruto groaned as he sat down for dinner

"Jeez glad I didn't go, Sakura is in on the idea, and not mad about the money, but I'm pretty sure Kakashi won't go easy on us," Natsu said nervously,

"Yeah, cake does look good but I'm not worried about Kakashi, whatever he throws at us we can handle!" Naruto cheered confidence in every word

"Well we may want to worry a bit," Natsu muttered looking toward the window behind Naruto

"Why?" Naruto asked

"Because I'm joining you for dinner," Kakashi said, to a paling Naruto,as he sat down pulling out some chopsticks and reaching for some food

Natsu, on instinct, slapped the Jonin' hand away and said, "Not until you wash your' hands and take off those gloves," with an aura one had only, until now, associated with the mothers of Konoha

Kakashi was caught unawares by the boy. Never had he been threatened by a Genin let alone had he felt the kid could do something, especially when Natsu reached for a frying pan. Kakashi' eyes widened seeing the gesture and, for a moment, he saw his late mentor' late wife brandishing the frying pan.

"Right, where are my manners?" Kakashi muttered as he backed away from the annoyed Genin, who was still brandishing the dreaded pan

" _Remind me to do my chores for the next while_ ," Naruto thought, his skin even paler

" **Noted** ," Kurama-yang muttered, his eyes widened in surprise

Kakashi came back, with clean hands, and once again reached for some food, with some trepidation. The three shinobi ate in relative silence for a while until the spread was gone and the dishes were in the sink. Natsu cut the small cake into thirds and handed a piece to both Kakashi and Naruto along with a cup of tea.

Once their meal was finished Naruto got up and started the dishes while Kakashi eyed the boys with a calculating look

"So, what did you need to discuss with us, Kakashi-sensei?" Natsu asked, sipping on his tea

"Blunt as ever, I wanted to ask you what you said to Sasuke to piss him off so much," Kakashi said looking across the table at Natsu with a stern look

"You know what I am, right?" Natsu asked and Kakashi nodded a response while Naruto stopped his chores to listen in

"Because I am sealed with the Yin half of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, I have an even greater understanding of his intense hatred and what hatred and vengeance truly mean. I told Sasuke that if he continued down this path he would fulfill his goal," Kakashi moved to interrupt but was stopped when Natsu' eyes changed

"I explained that while he would get his revenge, he would also destroy himself in the process. His blind quest for power would lead him to become a shell of what he thought he was. Empty without any of what makes life worth living," Natsu said harshly with tears in his eyes

"I guess you do understand more than most," Kakashi said with a somber look gazing down into his tea cup

"I don't think I could have said it better, I need to get him off the path to revenge, though it would seem I'm not alone now" Kakashi said with an eye smile at both Uzumaki boys

"Don't forget Sakura is also definitely in on this and I think I can help you motivate her to train harder," Natsu said smirking

The shinobi continued discussing the Sasuke situation and possible ways to turn him around. Natsu made the brother' lunches while discussing the different ways they could help Sasuke but nothing seemed to pan out. Finally, around midnight, Kakashi left the boys to get some rest and prepare for the coming exam.

 **~The Next Morning: Training Ground 7~**

The group of Genin arrived at Training Ground 7 to begin their first day of advanced ninja training, only to find that their master had yet to show up. The group waited for their sensei to arrive both tired and yet filled with excitement and anticipation of what was to come.

As the first hour passed the Genin began to sit opting to rest while they could before the late arrival of Kakashi-Sensei, Natsu showing Sakura some warm up exercises designed to wake up the various muscles of the body, taking glances of Sakura' thin and frail but no doubt feminine figure, with a slight blush.

Several hours after the Genin arrived, Kakashi-Sensei finally made it to the training ground.

"Morning everyone, ready for your' first day?" Kakashi asked in a bemused tone no real emotion on his face

"You're Late!" Naruto and Sakura shouted simultaneously, the latter almost rupturing the sensitive eardrums of the Uzumaki brothers

"Sorry about that, a black cat crossed my path so I had to take the long way around," Kakashi said rubbing the back of his head

" _Lamest excuse ever_ ," The Genin all muttered in their minds

"Well anyway let's begin today' lesson," Kakashi said enthusiasm entering his voice

He walked over to one of three posts in the middle of the training ground and placed a small alarm clock on it, "Here we go it's set for noon." Kakashi said setting the alarm

"Wha..?" Sakura began

"Your' assignment is very simple all you have to do is take these bells from me," Kakashi began while pulling a pair of silver bells on red string from his pocket, "That's all there is to it but, if you can't get them by noon you go without lunch you'll be tied to those posts there and be forced to watch as I eat my lunch,"

" _So that's why he said to skip breakfast,_ " Sasuke thought

"Whew, glad I ate breakfast then," Naruto said his trademark grin on his face

"Yeah thanks for the warning you guys!" Sakura said

"Oh so you two saw through that rouse?" Kakashi asked quizzically

"Of course, it'll take more than that to fool a fox," Natsu said cryptically

"I see well…" Kakashi began

"Wait what warning are you talking about Sakura?" Sasuke blurted out

"The one you didn't listen to after Kakashi-sensei left or want to hear last night, from my clone," Naruto said tilting his chin up and humphing at Sasuke

"What do you mean!?" Sasuke shouted

"I tried to warn you about the mind games Kakashi-Sensei was playing but you wouldn't listen!" Naruto shouted, "You just punched me in my face like a smug little bastard!"

"Anyway, warning or no, let's get back to business, you'll run out of time if we don't," Kakashi said some amusement in his voice at his last statement

"Right," the Genin said as a group Sasuke glaring at the Uzumaki brothers

"Okay then, and if you don't manage to get these bells away from me by the end of the day let's just say that Iruka-Sensei will be getting four more students for next year' class," Kakashi said in his cool calculating voice amusement surfacing towards the end of the statement

"What!?" the group shouted

"You can't just send us back to the academy!" Naruto whined,

"We all worked so hard to get here!" the others nodding at this

"Well then if you can't complete this simple exercise I guess you didn't work hard enough, Huh?" Kakashi said with a serious and cold tone

"I guess that's true," Natsu said,

"But I think we can work something out," he finished a mischievous grin on his face

"Whatever, can we begin?" Sasuke growled determined not to fail and not be shown up by the class clowns

"You may use any and all means at your' disposal, including shuriken and jutsu, to take the bells, if you aren't prepared to kill me you won't get a bell." Kakashi said with finality

"But Kakashi-sensei those are all too dangerous for this situation!" Sakura cried fearing for her sensei' life against herself and her fellow unrestrained Genin

"I'll be fine since those weapons are only dangerous in the hands of those with skill," Kakashi taunted

"Why you!" Naruto barked, "I'll show you skill!"

Naruto then drew a kunai from his leg holster spinning it on his right index finger before he suddenly charged forward at Kakashi-sensei. The Jonin sensei lunged forward and around Naruto in the blink of an eye when he was again visible Kakashi held Naruto' arm in a lock behind the boy' head the kunai inches from piercing the boy' thick skull.

"Don't be so impatient I didn't say start yet," Kakashi chided in his usual monotone,

"But you did come at me with the intent to kill so, what can I say? I'm beginning to like you guys." an eye smile on his face the statement caused the other Genin to calm down and smile at their sensei

"Ok then, Start!" Kakashi shouted two of the four Genin lunging away to hide in the dense foliage of the surrounding forest, Natsu and Naruto remained, arms crossed with confident smiles on their faces,

"I said 'Start'," Kakashi deadpanned

"You and us right here, right now, fair and square!" Naruto shouted while Natsu reached into his hip pouch for something

"You two are pretty weird you know?" Kakashi said with a sweat drop

"Well whatever," Kakashi said pulling out the latest issue of his favorite book 'Make out Paradise', "Ninja Art: Taijutsu, let's see what you can do,"

"Now!" Natsu shouted throwing down a white smoke bomb to hide their actions the brothers then made the iconic hand-sign of the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. Each of them creating eight clones one of each went toward Sasuke and Sakura while the remaining four paired off and went with the Uzumaki brothers, who each left in different directions, creating a communications relay between the four Genin. The remaining four clones threw a couple shuriken each and used a combination of the Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu and the Fūton: Reppūshō sending a swarm of deadly steel at their instructor.

Kakashi' visible eye widened as he watched some eighty shuriken and kunai fly out of the smoke heading straight for him. Kakashi nimbly leapt backward grabbing one of the faster kunai and used it to deflect any that came too close. His eye widened again though when he felt a stabbing pain in his back before he disappeared in a cloud of smoke a medium sized log where he once stood.

" _Those two are really something else when it comes to misdirection_ ," Kakashi thought from a tree branch, thinking back to the poof sound he had heard behind himself just before the brothers had stabbed him in the back.

 **~Sasuke POV~**

"You and us right here, right now, fair and square!" Naruto shouted while Natsu reached into his hip pouch for something

" _What is that idiot doing?"_ Sasuke grumbled in his head as the brothers shouted and stayed in total view, " _They can't do anything from there except make themselves targets_ ,"

"Now!" Natsu shouted throwing down a white smoke bomb hiding them in the thick but dissipating cloud, suddenly Natsu and Naruto appeared next to him in a burst of speed unlike any the young Uchiha had seen before

" _Shit, how'd they do that_!" Sasuke thought as he began to move to a new hiding place the clones fast approaching

Suddenly 'Naruto' appeared before Sasuke in a swirl of leaves grabbing the surpised Uchiha and holding him while 'Natsu' caught up and spoke

"Now, we know you think we're dumb but for the last two years that's what we have wanted everybody to think. We also know for a fact that, bells or no bells, we will pass this if we work as a group and not as individual units," Natsu' clone said sternly leaving no room for argument

"Then why are your' clones fighting him alone," they are giving us time to plan and assessing any possible weaknesses Kakashi-sensei has, teme," Naruto' clone huffed

Sasuke looked down for a moment taking in the logic of the Red Dobe', as Sasuke called him, words and the sounder logic behind using the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu to scout out Kakashi' patterns and skill level but he was an Uchiha and, sound logic or not, he wouldn't let some clanless wonder talk down to him like a parent explaining something to a child

Sasuke, in a surge of strength and flexibility, pushed off the ground attempting to break the clone' hold on him. Sasuke' legs arched up and over 'Naruto' forcing him to bend backwards due to the weight distribution Sasuke' was forcing. The two fell back and hit the ground the clone burst into a cloud of smoke upon impact while Sasuke used his momentum to get back on his feet.

"Why can you never put your' damn pride aside and work with other?" 'Natsu' groaned before he burst, willingly, into smoke alerting the other groups

"Stupid Dobes, like you could understand anything about me," Sasuke grumbled before he left to find a better hiding spot

 **~Sakura POV~**

"You and us right here, right now, fair and square!" Naruto shouted while Natsu reached into his hip pouch for something

" _You idiots, what are they doing_!?" Sakura thought, " _Cha! They'll blow this mission for us all_!"

Sakura looked down at the ground trying to figure out what they were doing when suddenly she heard someone shout. Looking up she her eyes widened in surprise at what she was seeing. The area where the brothers had been was encased in a thick cloud of white smoke that didn't show any signs of dissipating.

"Where did they go?" Sakura questioned aloud trying to see her two teammates

Sakura heard a noise to her left turning she nearly screamed her lungs out only for 'Naruto' to place a hand across her mouth.

"Are you trying to get us all caught?" 'Naruto' muttered to the stunned kunoichi

"What the hell are you two doing!?" she questioned in a loud whisper

"We're clones made by Naruto and Natsu we are here to relay our plan to you and a second group is relaying the plan to Sasuke," Natsu' clone said in a slight monotone

"Oh…Wait! How are you going to do that?" Sakura asked only reading bits of when the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu was used in history

"When a clone disperses any information he learned is relayed to the original and the remaining clones," Naruto' clone said excitedly, happy to explain something to the smartest girl in class

"Ok, what's the plan then?" Sakura asked as the clones both stiffened for an instant and then again suddenly

"What was that? What's going on!?" Sakura asked slightly worried

"Nothing a few clones were dispersed," Natsu' clone began, "Incredible as it may seem, Sasuke is not open to teaming up," his voice dripping with sarcasm and false sadness

"I hoped that he would," Sakura said in a tone that was a mix of annoyance, at Natsu, and sadness

"Naruto and I will distract Kakashi with our clones while you set a trap or two and then use your' kunai and shuriken for support," Natsu' clone said in thought

"We will lead Kakashi-sensei into the traps and hope one sticks if not we up the jutsu and see if that works," Naruto' clone said sheepishly knowing the plan wasn't much

"What about Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked

"He will be doing about the same as a lone wolf, most likely," Natsu' clone said

"Yeah, the Teme is pretty predictable but he has skills," 'Naruto' said before a large grin crossed his features,

"But so do we, Believe It!" Naruto' clone barked loudly

"I guess it's all we can hope for but I wish we had something better," Sakura said, " _Cha, this won't work_!"

"I know but we don't know enough about Kakashi-Sensei to fight differently and if we aren't careful it could be even worse," Natsu said solemnly

"Right I'll get to work!" Sakura said with a smile and a salute

"You mean we will," Naruto said smirking

"HUH?" Sakura said

"How else will the originals know where, what, and when?" Natsu asked

"Right!" Sakura chirped as the three set out to booby trap the surrounding area

 **~All POV~**

Kakashi was caught off guard by the smoke cloud and was caught off even more so as he saw two figures dashing toward him from within the smoke only for their shadows to multiply from two to eight

" _Bunshin no Jutsu_?" Kakashi thought trying to get his bearings and anticipate the actions of the two Genin, "No! Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

"Disperse!" he heard Naruto call from the smoke the eight shadows grouping off and running through the smoke

Two figures remained within the smoke and again created more clones for a grand total of eight measly clones and, possibly the originals, in the smoke and coming right at the Jonin instructor

"Well, points for ingenuity but the tactic seems lax," Kakashi said calmly as he readied himself getting into a basic Taijutsu stance and preparing for the eight on one assault, "You'll have to do better than that if you want these bells!"

"We'll show you!" Natsu and Naruto called from within the dissipating smoke cloud

A Naruto clone then came up behind Kakashi wrapping his arms and legs around the Jonin instructor putting him in a tight hold and keeping him from moving

"What is this! _One of them snuck up from behind, very clever_ ," Kakashi asked in a playful monotone

Sakura and Sasuke had both settled into a hiding spot. Sakura, having finished setting traps with the Uzumaki clones, wanted to watch as Kakashi was forced into one or two of them. The two of them reached their spots just as the remaining Uzumaki clones were closing in on Kakashi.

The clones rushed Kakashi prepared to pummel him and take the bells from his hip. They reached Kakashi hitting him with a flurry of punches and kicks trying to render him unconscious before he could retaliate but, as the dust settled, the Genin could see that, in place of Kakashi, the one who had received the severe pummeling had been a Natsu clone instead, which promptly burst into smoke.

"What? Where'd he go?" shouted a Naruto clone

"I don't know!" shouted Natsu, "Break the jutsu in case he transformed into one of us to hide in the clones,"

"Gotcha!" Naruto barked, "Release!"

The horde of seven Uzumaki then disappeared in a cloud of white smoke leaving only the originals standing in the now empty clearing

" _What_!?" the Genin all thought

"If he didn't hide among the clones then where..?" Natsu began, craning his neck around in search of their instructor but was suddenly pulled into the ground until only his head was visible yet still shielded from view by several ferns

"Ninja Art: Ninjutsu," Kakashi stated calmly, "Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu!"

"Wow Kakashi-sensei never expected a jutsu like this," Natsu said calmly, "but I'm afraid you didn't quite hit the nail on the head this time"

"What do you mean?" Kakashi said not showing any emotion

"I mean this," Natsu said. smiling like a Cheshire cat, before he erupted into a cloud of white smoke

" _How did he_?" Kakashi thought as he now looked around for the young Genin

With Kakashi distracted Sasuke took aim from the branch he was sitting on and threw several kunai and shuriken. The swarm of iron death hit Kakashi in his side causing him to fall over but, in a poof of white smoke, Kakashi disappeared and in his place, was a log now covered in shuriken and kunai

"Oh shit!" Sasuke thought as he ran to find a new hiding place while Kakashi tried to find Natsu

" _Mujin Meisai_!" Natsu thought with a smile mere meters from the searching Kakashi having watched the skillful display of both Kakashi and Sasuke,

" _Glad I had a clone or two around, now to lead him to a trap_ " Natsu thought before creating and dispelling a Kage Bunshin signaling is teammates, that listened

"Where did he go?" Kakashi thought out loud until a pair of kunai whizzed by his head

"Come and get me!" Naruto called from behind Kakashi taunting the Jonin by pulling down one eyelid and sticking out his tongue

"So, you wanna play it that way, huh?" Kakashi asked rolling up his sleeves a bit, "Fine the hard way it is!"

"Yikes better run!" Naruto called jogging away from the Jonin

Kakashi lunged forward trying to capture the young Genin and find the others. Naruto stayed just out of Kakashi' reach as the two made their way toward the pond.

As they got closer Naruto jumped into the pond and seemed to disappear below the surface. Just then Sakura and Natsu jumped out from the nearby tree tops and each landed a kick against Kakashi' back sending him flying over the water. Kakashi made a forward flip summersaulting in midair over the pond. When he landed though the ground beneath him suddenly gave out and he fell into a cleverly disguised pitfall trap. Natsu, Naruto, and Sakura walked over to the pit keeping their guard up in case of another Doton Jutsu.

The three of them looked down into the pit and in place of their Jonin Sensei they saw another large section of a log. The three then got into a back to back triangular formation trying to look out for their missing sensei.

"It's a good effort you three, but not enough," Kakashi whispered with an eye smile as he popped up in between the three Genin, "I'm glad most of you understand the values of teamwork, Sasuke!"

The three Genin gasped and turned to face Kakashi kunai in hand and in a ready stance. As they were about to lunge the clock timer went off. Kakashi then put away his book and began walking toward the three posts. The genin put away their kunai and began to follow Kakashi to the posts hoping that lunch would be available as the efforts they had made were seriously draining.

"Well aren't you coming Sasuke?" Kakashi asked crooking his neck and turning toward a nearby tree branch from which Sasuke dropped down,

"However, I can't let you eat and I'm tying you to the post for how you acted." Kakashi said with an eye smile as he appeared behind the genin with ninja wire

"What! Why am I the only one being punished!?" Sasuke shouted in outrage, "None of us were able to get a bell from you so why just me!?"

"Because you were the only one who didn't work with the others and because if you had worked with them the bells would have gone to the four of you!" Kakashi said with a glare as he pushed Sasuke back and sent him flying into the middle post to which Kakashi promptly tied the boy, "Teamwork is the most important thing that any Shinobi can have even more so than Jutsu and tools."

"That's absurd!" Sasuke shouted

"Others push you to work harder and go farther than you ever could alone, especially when you fuel your ambitions with bloodlust and hatred," Kakashi said with a saddened look on his face, "A good rival can push you farther than the darkness inside can and without you becoming some shell of your former self after you accomplish your goals," Kakashi said eye smiling and thinking of his own rival and all the contest they had

"Whatever," Sasuke grunted looking at the ground to Kakashi' left with a sour look on his face

"I'm still an Uchiha, the elite!" Sasuke growled, struggling against the ninja wire

"You know, I never understood that mind set," Natsu said receiving an incredulous look from Sasuke

"I get it, you guys were one of the two strongest clans, matched only by the Senju themselves, and your' eyes will give you amazing power but, your' clan let that go to their heads," Natsu said almost in a scolding tone

"What do you know about my clan?" Sasuke growled angrily

Sakura turned to the brothers stunned at the turn of the conversation and curious for the answers, while Kakashi had a sad, knowing, look on his face

"I know how cruel your' clansmen could be, I know you think your' eyes unbeatable, especially with the downfall of your' major competition," Natsu began, in a cold, bitter tone

"Your' clan would beat us on sight for breathing! They would shoot those stupid fireballs of your' and make us dance or be roast like pork!" he continued anger clear in his voice while his face was contorted in an ugly scowl

"I heard stories in class and read about how loyal and honourable your' clansmen were, their deep love for their family and friends, their endless compassion for those they empathized with. I also read of their cavernous hate, their arrogance gleamed from their Kekkei Genkai, and we learned of their cruelty first hand," Natsu growled, his voice hoarse with emotion

"We try to understand you and your' pain, we get why you are so aloof and arrogant but, we couldn't relate to having so many people we loved taken from us," Naruto said while his brother calmed down

"Then shut up now," Sasuke said in a low, dangerous tone while scowling at the boys

"I remember when you used to actually smile and take pride in your' skills. Now, it's like you hate everything," Naruto continued, as though he didn't hear the seething Uchiha, thinking back to the smug but, happy Sasuke

"That was before that night, now maybe I do," Sasuke growled

"Maybe your' just still mad because you couldn't stop it, because you wer left to live," Kakashi said with a knowing look, "What happened wasn't your' fault Itachi did what he did, you couldn't have known,"

"But it is my fault! If- if I had just been there…I could've done something!" Sasuke shouted in anger as tears formed at the corners of his eyes, which were starting to itch

"Yeah, you could've died with the others or who knows maybe Itachi left you on purpose, to make you become more like him," Kakashi retorted trying to console the boy

"I should've noticed! How could nobody notice?" Sasuke asked as though to himself

"Sometimes people just hide it well," Natsu said reassuringly

"You are strong and powerful already and in a few years, you'll be even stronger but, if you let hatred and revenge consume you, all that will be left is an empty shell with nothing and no one to live for," Kakashi said with a hollow look in his eyes as though he were remembering a time long past

"Maybe(Sniff) maybe you have a point, but what else can I do? I have to avenge my clan and restore our honor!" Sasuke shouted more in confusion than anything else his eyes itching and almost, burning

"That's the funny thing about honor and the reformation of a clan," Kakashi began squatting dow to eye level with Sasuke, a hand on the boy' shoulder

"When you're the last one you make the rules. You can choose to walk down the path set out by your' elders or choose to start a new path and find your' own way, restore the honor of the Uchiha with the beginning of your' era not with the end of another," Kakashi explained looking at Sasuke seriously conveying the gravity of the situation

Sasuke looked at his teacher, his eyes wide with realization, before he looked to his smiling teammates who were eagerly awaiting his answer.

Sasuke looked up at the sky contemplating the choices he had just been given. On one hand, he could feel the way his obsession was changing him. He had become colder and distant in the last few years while training himself into the ground every day. He felt stronger than he was but not by much.

On the other hand, the clanless Dobes before him had jumped leaps and bounds in only two years! They were nearly on par with Chunin in speed and power and he had only seen one trick! Their training was far more effective than his. They helped each other, like Itachi used to.

The more he thought about it, the more he realized his sensei was right, his revenge would yield success, no doubts there, but he wouldn't restore their honor he would just be cleaning the slate. He'd have no one to return to if he continued being so cold. He'd have no way of restoring his clan' honor with the single death of their executioner.

The only way to restore his clan, honor and all, was to set aside his pride and get help from his friends and comrades. He didn't like it but he saw what this was, bitter cold medicine in the first days of the illness.

"Can I really walk my own path?" Sasuke asked after several minutes of contemplation

"Of course, right now you're at a fork in your' road of life," Kakashi explained again

"One side gets you your' revenge, and not much else, while the other lets you build a brighter future for yourself and the Uchiha clan," Kakashi finished with an eye smile raising his hands like scales

Sasuke looked at his team in awe for a moment before he couldn't help himself. A few small tears trailed down his cheeks before he began openly balling, letting out all the pent up sorrow and hatred he had bottled away over the years.

Sakura, with no hesitation, kneeled down and wrapped her arms around Sasuke as best she could, with him tied to the stump, and let him cry into her shoulder. After a few more minutes sasuke was spent of tears and looked up to his teammates, with a small smile, only for them all to gasp.

In place of the usual onyx black eyes commonly associated with the young Uchiha, the eyes looking up at Team 7 were blood red with one tomoe in each eye.

"What? I know I don't cry, or show most emotion, but still I'm kinda vulnerable, so, What's up?" Sasuke asked worried about his teams' reaction

"Your' eyes," Sakura managed to say, her own eyes glued to the crimson orbs of her long time crush

"What about my eyes!?" Sasuke asked, almost panicking

One thing you never say to a Dojutsu bearer is that his eyes look weird or like something is wrong, unless you want to scare them shitless, then go for it

"You've unlocked your' first stage Sharringan," Kakashi said in awe, "I guess this little life altering chat was emotional enough for your' eyes to activate,"

"Are you serious?" Sasuke asked shocked, " _All the hate in me couldn't activate these eyes and yet one decision, to let go of my revenge, I'm already getting stronger they really were right_ ,"

Kakashi looked stood up and looked down at his charges with a warm eye smile thinking back to when Natsu and Naruto were planning this little 'talk' with him the night before.

"These four will go far, Sensei I hope you're proud, these boys alone have already made a huge step forward in their training and their goals. They may even do what you couldn't and end the bloodshed," Kakashi thought before clearing his throat gaining the attention of his four Genin

"Well then, you all pass!" Kakashi said with an eye smile

"Huh?" the genin asked

"To paraphrase a departed friend, 'those who break the rules are considered scum in the Shinobi world but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum'," Kakashi said with a far-off look in his eye as he stared off into the sky thinking back to his younger days and the friend who taught Kakashi true courage.

"Hooray we passed!" Naruto shouted, " _Thanks Kurama-Yang_."

" **You are welcome Naruto** ," Kurama-Yang said back

"Yes!" Sakura cheered, " _Cha, number one!_ " her inner voice shouted

"Hmm I guess this could work," Sasuke grumbled still tied to the post

"Awesome!" Natsu cheered, " _Thanks Kurama-Yin._ "

" **No problem, just don't screw this up**!" Kurama-Yin growled back

"You can count on me friend!" Natsu shouted out loud due to his excitement

"Uh okay then everybody how about we go get some barbeque to celebrate?" Kakashi asked eye smiling at the joyous Genin

"Sounds great," responded the genin

"Alright then let's go!" Kakashi cheered pointing in the direction of the village as he walked off

"Hey you bastards! You forgot to untie me!" Sasuke shouted at the departing group

"No we didn't dumbass." A Natsu clone said from behind the thrashing Uchiha, "You just didn't say please." The clone whined with a mocking pout

"Untie me you asshole!" Sasuke shouted at his teammate

"Not until you say please." The clone taunted

"Fine, Please untie me," Sasuke said in defeat

"No, you were being a meany!" the clone said as he ran off toward the group until he turned with a smile throwing a kunai at the tied Genin cutting the ropes away, "Just Kidding" the clone said in a sing-song voice evaporating into smoke

"I'm gonna get you for that!" Sasuke shouted with a smirk running after the real Natsu and Naruto running the entire group now laughing on their way to the restaurant

 **Woooow Guys I am really sorry for the long wait! I have een busy with shit in my life. Yes I have a life! I hope you guys like the new angle I'm going with towards Sasuke. I realized he is a valuable ally if used right plus there are some good Nice Sasuke fics so, why not? I am making some changes and taking down my poll. I won't use the results for a while thanks for the votes and FOR THE LOVE OF KAMI PLEASE COMMENT!**

 **SEE Yah! (^_^)/**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys I'm back early this time! I am working on finding a job so I still can't write much but I'm writing every chance I get. I still need one thing from you guys: SOME FUCKING COMMENTS! Otherwise I am fine Here's the next installment of "The Adventures of Naruto and Natsu Uzumaki!" BELIEVE IT!**

 **Guest: Comments like your' are the reason any of us do this.**

 **Chapter 6: Journey to The Land of Waves: A-Rank Mission!**

The sun shone down on the Village Hidden in the Leaves warming the village with it' soft light while a cool breeze blew through the village. In the surrounding woods, the Genin of Team Kakashi were on yet another 'Suck ass', Naruto' words, D-Rank mission. One which no one in Konoha liked. Least of all the Genin of Team 7.

They were all slowly becoming fed up with D-Rank missions realizing now just what all the senior shinobi meant by the snickers or defeated looks they gave whenever fresh Genin asked about missions. D-ranks, unlike any other kind of missions, were nothing more than Genin doing chores like painting houses, weeding gardens, and picking up trash from the rivers, that others were either too busy or too lazy to do.

They had all been expecting missions like stealing documents from foreign dignitaries or even escorting people across borders. Missions with action and fighting where they could show off with all their Jutsu and skills, they were all sorely mistaken.

In the first few days Kakashi had tried to take it slow with lots of team building and basic physical training, ha. No one on Team 7 agreed with it so they had convinced him to actually train them by stealing his prized 'Icha Icha Paradise' book using the Mujin Meisa and Kage Bunshin no Jutsu to create an invisible clone which stole the book and then held it ready for the hell fire. Let's just say that Kakashi became much less lazy and more open to actual training.

Kakashi had started with Chakra control exercises, which Natsu and Naruto had been drilling for months, explaining that by controlling one' chakra more efficiently a shinobi could use a powerful jutsu more times without getting tired.

He had them perform the Tree Climbing Exercise until they could climb the tallest trees in their training area, roughly 40 meters. He then made them do laps up and down the trees for hours on end, a little payback for threatening his precious, until they dropped from fatigue. After the first week of this he felt that they had mastered the technique enough to learn the next one, Water Walking.

Kakashi showed them the basics of the technique and let them go from there. Unlike with the tree climbing exercise this one used a varying chakra flow to keep the user on the water' surface. To Kakashi' surprise it only took Sakura and Sasuke a few short days to master the technique.

After that Kakashi began improving upon his Genin' more lackluster areas, meaning Sakura got lots of attention, and even showed them more advanced uses of the chakra exercises having them spar on the water' surface or dodge kunai from trunk to trunk.

During the training Naruto let slip Sasuke' preference for serious Kunoichi and his disdaine of Fangirls. As a result, Sakura took the training more seriously and trained harder than ever.

Her Taijutsu and Genjutsu had improved by leaps and bounds. Her enhanced chakra control and increased reserves allowed her to use extremely complex Genjutsu and empower her limbs for extra power I something akin to Tsunade-sama' super strength Jutsu with less power and efficiency. With the help of some textbooks, and a friend in the hospital Sakura also began studying basic Medical Ninjutsu, mostly salves and first aid, but she was improving. She had taken to wearing light, 10kg, training weights at all times to undo the damage of her nonexistent academy training.

Sasuke had of course been training his eyes to the limit, maturing them to have two tomoe in each eye, allowing him to cast low level Genjutsu with a glance. Kakashi had also helped Sasuke learn a basic Kenjutsu form passed down in the Uchiha clan called the Ryu no Mai, an elegent yet powerful style of Kenjutsu using combo strikes and flowing slashes. His Ninjutsu had also improved adding in some basic Raiton Jutsu and he had taken to wearing moderate training weights, 50kg, to improve his strength, speed, and endurance.

Being more advanced before graduation, the Uzumaki brothers were a bit ahead of their comrades. Both were intermediate seal masters who could make intermediate explosive tags, storage scrolls, etc. and were working in different fields of Kenjutsu. They had also leaned some low level Genjutsu to be used with the Kitsunegan, in secret of course.

Natsu had begun training in Kenjutsu with a basic katana and was quite good. Thanks to the fox he had learned to channel different elemental chakra across the blade to increase it' sharpness and cutting power. But unlike Sasuke, Natsu had no family style to learn, yet, so he just went with basic slashes and counters mixed into his Taijutsu, the Kitsune no Hitokuchi, focused on using his water affinity to enhance his flexibility and dodging capacity using all parts of the body to attack focusing more on fluid blocking and reversals with palm strike and knees or elbows mixed in with several types of kicks. He had learned several Suiton, Fuuton, and Raiton jutsu from Kakashi making him a good close-range fighter who could also defend.

Naruto had grown similarly. He used a pair of kunai knives rather than an actual sword in his kenjutsu training. In addition, he had created his own Taijutsu called the Kitsune no Danmaku, which utilized the knees and elbows and upper body more along with various joint locks, throws, and combination strikes and expecially used multiple shadow clones for added blows and evasion. Naruto had also learned several basic Katon, Fuuton, and Raiton jutsu from Kakashi.

Their current mission was something of a rite of passage in the Konoha. The chase and capture of Torra the demon cat! The Genin were currently moving into a pincer formation around the cat' approximate position trying to force it forward into a net trap that Natsu had set up while the others distracted the cat. The mission, while still boring, was harder than the Genin had anticipated. The group of Shinobi were all wearing their usual attire but each of them also had on walkie talkies with attached microphones worn around their necks and transmitter antenna attached to their headbands.

"I'm in position give the order," Naruto whispered into his mic

"Alright, Naruto is in position how about the rest of you?" Kakashi asked over the microphones

"I'm ready when you are Kakashi-Sensei," Sakura whispered into her mic

"Hmph," Sasuke grunted as his response

"I'm ready with the net just lead it to me," Natsu whispered

"Alright, GO!" Kakashi ordered

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura lunged forward, in a V scoop formation, forcing the cat to move back into Natsu and the net which was the fourth wall of the formation. Natsu raised the net hidden beneath the ground and captured the surprised cat.

"We got it Kakashi-Sensei," Sasuke stated flatly

"Can you confirm red ribbon on right ear?" Kakashi asked

"Yes confirmed red ribbon on right ear," Natsu said back

"Good job guys that's mission clear!" Kakashi said happily into the microphone

"When can we get a real mission!?" Naruto whined into the microphone hurting everyone' ears

BONK!

"Naruto you can be such an annoying brat!" Sakura said punching Naruto in the back of the head

"She has a point," Natsu agreed

"The Hell, we're brothers you are supposed to have my back!" Naruto shouted looking a little hurt

"I would if you weren't so annoying when you get bored," Natsu said with a cheeky grin

"They're right, but so is the Dobe," Sasuke said offhandedly

Everyone turned to stare at the last Uchiha, their eyes wide and jaws in the dirt.

Sasuke looked up and snarled, "What! What's the problem?"

"You never say anything that supports anyone in any way, unless they're stroking your' ego," Natsu said still amazed

Now don't get me wrong. In the last two months of training under Kakashi Sasuke had opened up to his teammates and been less of an arrogant prick, but he was still an arrogant Uchiha prick. Although his insults had lost some bite and he even seemed less frigid around Sakura, after he realized she was training harder.

"Because, usually, you don't have a point but now you do. These D-Ranks are insufferable and we've been at it for weeks with no change," Sasuke growled

Kakashi popped up in a cloud of smoke to inspect Tora and ensure she was still in one piece.

"I know that these missions aren't missions but they're important," Kakashi explained trying to placate his students

"Oh yeah, How?" asked Naruto with his arms crossed

"They help build teamwork between fresh Genin teams and help you to focus your' skills in unexpected ways," Kakashi explained with a monotone, "Plus, they give you a bit of spare cash here or there,"

Sakura looked like she agreed with her sensei, mostly because the missions let her be close to her precious Sasuke-kun without danger. Sasuke was still annoyed by the whole thing and didn't care for any of Kakashi' points.

" _How does picking up trash from rivers and painting houses help us build Teamwork_?" Sasuke thought in aggravation

"Bullshit," Natsu grumbled

"What was that?" Kakashi asked with a pointed glance

"You heard me! These missions are just to help us keep busy while we train and learn to do our paper work. We can't learn to fight together or complete C-Rank missions by weeding gardens and cleaning kennels!" Natsu shouted in his own annoyance

"Huuh," Kakashi sighed looking at his annoyed students, "Look, like I said I know that this isn't ideal and that you want to test your limits and show your skills but for now these missions help me to keep you guys active and train you, if we just trained you may be removed from the active rosters if we don't do enough,"

"Well then say that don't make bullshit excuses!" Naruto chimed in

"Yeah," Sakura agreed

"Hn" Sasuke grunted

"Okay, I'm sorry for not explaining this better you should also know that we have done enough D-Rank missions and training to qualify for a C-Rank mission now with Tora here captured," Kakashi said with an eye smile hoping to placate his stunned Genin, who were all either dumbfounded or elated with the news

 **~Hokage Tower: Mission Assignment Room~**

Team 7 found themselves in a large room with the better part of the back wall missing letting in natural light and the fresh spring breeze. Around the room were several tables with Chunin filing away mission reports, payments, and requests. In the middle of the tables sat the Hokage with four large scrolls marked with a different letter from D-A and even one marked S. With him sat Iruka Umino.

The wife of the Fire Daimayo, a heavy-set woman with rich brown hair worn in a bun, lots of makeup, a gaudy fur coat, and a purple dress, was currently strangling the life out of one Tora the cat. The cat tried it' best to escape, but to no avail, as the woman' hold only tightened. The members of Team 7 all smirked and or snickered at the sight with a singular thought, " _Serves you right, damn cat_ ,"

"Congratulations team 7 on another job well done!" Iruka said before the Genin could really enjoy the sight

"Now for your' next mission," the Hokage began, "We have some appealing D-Rank missions such as: a garden that needs weeding, a house that needs a new roof, some trash has been seen in the local river…"

Tora finally freed himself from his owner' strangle hold of a hug when the woman went to pay for the mission.

"It looks like Tora needs to be rounded up again," the Hokage said with a smirk, " _The money that cat makes this village_ ,"

"Come on Jiji can't we get a real mission!" Naruto whined

"Naruto!" Iruka shouted, "You will respect lord Hokage and complete any mission he assigns to you and your' squad!"

"But Iruka-Sensei," Natsu said, "We're real ninja now..."

"…and we deserve a real ninja mission!" Naruto finished the twins crossing their arms and falling into a lotus position and staring, their eyes slants, at the Hokage and Iruka-Sensei

"Ha, these boys want us to know that they are no longer pranking brats," the Hokage laughed while Iruka looked on dumbfounded, "They're former brats and as such they want a mission whose difficulty will reflect their true skill more accurately,"

Iruka smiled at the young group of Genin wondering how they had become so strong and gotten so confident in themselves. "At least let us explain why we have been giving you D-Rank missions up until now,"

"I think it would be a good lesson," Kakashi chimed in eye smiling as he rubbed the back of his head, "Might make these two idiots change their minds,"

"Hey!" the brothers whined at their leader' remark

"You see children we receive hundreds of jobs requests everyday both from the land of fire and other smaller nations along our borders," the Hokage began, "These jobs are ranked from D to S based on the level of difficulty and goal of the job. Basic chores and low danger jobs are marked as D-Rank these are designed to bring together your' teams and help you learn to work together better. C-Rank missions are slightly more difficult and dangerous but are still usually no threat to Genin level Shinobi. B-Rank missions are much more difficult and could get you killed. A-Rank missions are even more dangerous usually involving missions against other shinobi that are after our secrets or out to destroy the village. S-Rank missions are destruction on a near global scale."

The Genin were all listening carefully except Naruto and Natsu who looked bored and had started talking about what ramen from Ichiraku' was the best.

"Hey!" the Hokage shouted, "You two knuckle heads understand or not?"

"We get it so could we at least get a C-Rank mission cause D-Ranks suck ass and besides we train outside of them together working on combinations" Natsu said in exasperation

"Alright team Kakashi I have the perfect mission for you then," the Hokage said with his own devious smile turning to a Chunin, "Let our guest in please,"

"Hai, Hokage-sama," the Chunin said walking over to a door to the right of the Hokage

When he opened the door an old man with short spiky gray hair, beard and moustache, round wire framed glasses, a pair of tan shorts and a grey tank top, and sandals. He had dark tanned skin from years spent outdoors and his eyes shone a deep resolve even in his drunken stupor. He carried a pack on his back and was halfway through a very large bottle of beer.

"What is this?" The old man slurred, "I asked you for ninja to protect me on my way home and while I finish my bridge and you give me children!? Half of them don't even reach my knee caps what are they going to do bite away at the bandit' ankles!?"

"Ha who are these shrimps?" Naruto asked his hands behind his head as he looked around at Sasuke and Sakura who both took a single step closer revealing Naruto and Natsu to be the shortest of the four,

"Why you!" Natsu growled clenching his fists but not moving

"Let me at 'em!" Naruto shouted jumping toward the old drunk

"No Naruto you're not supposed to attack the client that's not how this works!" Kakashi groaned holding Naruto back just barely, "We'll take the job, if that's okay with you...?"

"Tazuna and yes it's fine," the bridge builder said

"Okay then everyone run home and pack anything you'll need for the journey, you have one hour, meet at the West Gate," Kakashi said before disappearing in a puff of smoke

As team 7 was leaving the Hokage' tower Team 10 was making their way up the stairs toward the assignment office, all of them wearing their usual outfits. Naruto and Natsu noticed the disheveled appearance of the Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino and couldn't help but smirk remembering their little talk with Asuma about training his Genin.

 **~Flashback: One month~**

Auma Sarutobi is a tall man with black hair, kept short, with a beard that framed his jaw line and dark tanned skin. He wore the traditional Jonin outfit with a sash around his waist with the emblem of the '12 Guardian Shinobi'. He was sitting in a tea house alone reading a book and smoking a cigarette.

His day had been going well. Ino had finally stopped complaining about not being on Sasuke' team and being stuck with the laziest teammates in her class. Although she did the least training outside of what he suggested they do while Shikamaru and Choji trained not only with him but with their clans outside of missions.

"If anything she needs to train harder than her teammates," Asuma grumbled while turning the page in his book

"I couldn't agree more, Asuma-sensei," Natsu said appearing across the table from Asuma

In his surprise Asuma drew and threw a kunai across the table at the young Genin who skillfully dodges the deadly blade with a tilt of his head before turning back to the startled Jonin with a wide grin

"Natsu! Sorry about that you startled me," Asuma apologized before he realized something

"Wait! How did you do that?" Asuma asked with a small an inquisitive look

"I just tilted my head an instant before your' kunai hit my face," Natsu said nonchalantly

"No! I mean how did you sneak up on me?" Asuma grumbled

"Oh that? I just waited until you were deep enough in thought before walking up to the table and sitting down," Natsu said simply

" _That can't be it, whatever_ , What do you want, Gaki?" Asuma grumbled

"Well, we wanted to talk to you about some diversity in your' team' training," Naruto said wrapping an arm around Asuma' shoulders

Asuma again lashed out in surprise grabbing Naruto by the wrist and pulling him into a joint lock with his face planted firmly in the table

"How the hell are you two Gakis sneaking up on me!?" Asuma growled causing a small scene in the once tranquil teahouse

"Fine, I'll tell you just let Naruto up and hear us out," Natsu said with a bit of concern

Asuma released his hold on Naruto' arm before sitting back down with a huff

"I'm a sensor-type shinobi and as such me and Naruto have been working on suppressing our chakra signatures through special training," Natsu explained

"So, to test the results of your' training you're sneaking up on Jonin?" Asuma asked with a raised eyebrow

"Yeah, pretty much, but we also wanted to talk with you specifically this was just an, added bonus," Naruto said with a roll of his hand

"We wanted to give you some ideas to diversify your' Genin' training and better prepare them compared to other teams," Natsu explained

"How so, aren't you guys just doing basic training?" Asuma asked in confusion

"Yeah, week one, we finished chakra control in the first week with the Water Walking Exercise and since then we've been doing elemental manipulation with Taijutsu and weight training," Naruto blurted

"Wait what? Elemental manipulation is a Chunin level skill how can any of you learn it?" Asuma asked incredulously

"That doesn't matter, what matters is that your' team is currently undergoing the least intensive training of the four rookie teams," Natsu said clasping his hands in front of himself with a small grin

"How do you know that?" Asuma asked with a growl

"We've been watching you guys train as part of our own in suppressing our signatures," Naruto explained with a confident smirk

"And we've seen how you basically sit there and tell them to practice their parent' moves for an hour do a D-Rank mission and call it a day with some BBQ. Is that crap really what you call training, even for beginners?" Natsu asked

"Yes, they need to learn to work together and by practicing their family combos they are," Asuma defended

"Really? Because if so they are fucking screwed when you get a C-Rank," Naruto chuckled

"What was that, Gaki?" Asuma said slamming his hand on the table and loosing enough KI to make the nearby civilians shiver

Neither brother reacted to the show of force and instead Natsu smirked asking, "Who's stronger Sakura or Ino?"

"What the hell kinda question is that?" Asuma asks taken aback by the sudden inquiry

"A simple one, so, who is stronger," Natsu asks again

"Ino obviously, not gonna lie, but coming from a clan she has a slight advantage over a civilian born Genin," Asuma says with pride

"Really, can Ino water walk, at all, yet?" Naruto asks with a cocky grin

"Well, no that's advanced chakra control," Asuma defends quickly with a finger in the air

"Then why can Sakura, if your' student is so superior?" Naruto retorted

Asuma was floored at that revelation. The Uzumaki and the Uchiha were one thing, but the civilian, no fucking way. How could a civilian be better than a clan heiress?

"How is that possible?" Asuma asked

"Because unlike you Kakashi-sensei has been taking his job seriously as have Hana Inuzuka and Kurenai Yuhi with their respective teams. They all work with us on clan Jutsu where they can and then help us to fill in the gaps so we are more well rounded and prepared for actual combat. They even help each other, but you, you just laze about and leave your' students out in the cold!" Natsu growls slamming his fist down with some KI mixed in for effect

"Like hell that happens even if it did Kurenai would at least offer me advice with my team like you said," Asuma defended smugly

"Have you ever asked on one of your' dates?" Naruto asked with a smirk

"No, we are usually too busy having fun to talk about work," Asuma says before he realizes what he did

"I knew you two were an item!" Naruto cackled pointing at the now embarrassed Jonin

"Okay okay I'll hear you out! Just don't spread the word! What can I do to whip them into shape?" Asuma asks seeing no way out of it now with them blackmailing him

"Well with Ino you first explain to the gossip queen that Sasuke only likes kunoichi who are serious about their training and tell her that Sakura is doing advanced training, you'll set off her competitive side on two fronts. Then with Shikamaru and Choji there's no real gimmicks you just gotta think about their weaknesses and up their training to fill in the gaps. I suggest training weights also like these," Natsu says rolling up his sleeve to reveal a weighted gauntlet

"How much does that weigh? 2kg?" Asuma asks smirking

"12kg actually, each," Naruto smirks showing off his own

Asuma' jaw hit the table top with his cigarette falling to the ground.

" _No freakin' way are these Gakis walking around with 48kg strapped to 'em_ ," Asuma thinks in stunned confusion

"Well, we gotta get going, see yuh later," Natsu says before leaving in a leaf Shunshin with Naruto following close behind

"I gotta up their training otherwise they'll die in the next exams!" Asuma pays his tab and leaves to prepare his team' new training regiment

 **~End Flashback~**

The three of them hadn't changed much physically each looked to have gained some added muscle tone and had grown in the couple months since graduation but not much else had changed. They all seemed to have been run ragged by their new training bringing a smile to the brother' faces. Ino seemed paler and more ragged than her teammates even after both brothers and Asuma told her not to, she still insisted on dieting.

"Are you okay Ino you don't look so well?" Natsu asked with a look of concern on his face

"Yeah I'm (Huff) fine Natsu (huff) thanks for asking," Ino said seeming more winded by the experience

"Your' still dieting to look good for Sasuke, aren't you?" Sakura asked, a mix of concern and self- righteousness in her voice

"Of course I am! Aren't you?" Ino retorted having caught her breath

"No, I stopped when Natsu and Naruto explained to us the dangers of dieting and training so I wouldn't feint all the time or get winded from climbing up a few stairs," Sakura said snickering at Ino

"What do you mean, when did they do that?" Ino asked

"You're really that dense Ino?" asked the, til now, silent Asuma Sarutobi with a cigarette in his mouth,

"The reason you keep passing out during training is because of your' stupid diet. If you ate some regular meals instead of those tiny plates of food you would be able to breeze through training," Asuma said in exasperation

"Yeah that's what Natsu told us the after team assignments!" Sakura chirped

"Wow, I guess you really were trying to help me," Ino said sheepishly

"Of course I was, we're comrades aren't we? But I guess I can't blame you for not taking life advice from a guy like me," Natsu said a sad look on his face

"No, I'm sorry, I should've believed you and Asuma-sensei when you guys told me before but I was just being stubborn," Ino said in an apologetic tone

"No worries Ino-chan, besides your' stubbornness just shows you have a great resolve and that is an endearing quality in a kunoichi," Natsu said with a smile causing Ino to blush

"Well thanks," Ino said before her blush receded

"I would love to hear any other advice you may have for me, Natsu," Ino said with a small smile

"Well we just got an escort mission but we should be back in a little under a month so would you want to meet up and talk, my treat?" Natsu said unsure nervously braiding his ponytail and letting it fall lose as he spoke

"Uzumaki-san, are you asking me out on a date?" Ino asked with feigned increduality

"That depends, what would you say if I was?" Natsu asked with a deep blush

"I would say, 'that sounds like fun'," Ino said brushing her bangs back behind her ear

"Great!" Natsu shouted jumping up a few feet into the air and denting the cement as he impacted,

"I mean (cough, cough), cool see you then," Natsu said in his best cool guys voice while smoothing back his hair

"All right break it up!" Asuma interrupted, "You've still got some packing to do and we've got a mission briefing to get to,"

"Right see yah Ino-chan!" Natsu called waving as he jumped from roof to roof

"Good luck, Natsu-kun" Ino said giggling at his antics, her teal eyes far off and dreamy

 **~Time Skip: Village Gates~**

The Team 7 stood before the large village gates determination and excitement etched onto each of their faces, except Sasuke, who was trying his hardest to stay emotionless and stoic like the true emo he was. Naruto walked forward to the edge of the gates looking out at the vast world before him with an infectious smile on his face while Kakashi and Tazuna joined the group.

"Come on!" Naruto shouted with joy, "Let's go already!"

"Calm down little bro," Natsu said calmly a thin smile gracing his features, "What's the rush?"

"We've never left the village before and I am really excited to be able to travel!" Naruto said excitedly

"Is this shrimp gonna be like this the whole trip?" Tazuna asked

Naruto then turned to him glaring at the old man, "The name's not shrimp, it's Naruto Uzumaki, and one day I'm gonna be Hokage, Believe It!"

"Ha the day you become Hokage is the day I quit drinking!" Tazuna laughed clearly still drunk but to Natsu' keen eye, the old man was on edge for some unknown reason

"Okay then let's head out!" Kakashi chimed eye smiling at his young charges, "Natsu can you keep an eye out for any enemies up ahead with your sensory ability?"

"Of course, Kakashi-Sensei I can watch out for a diameter of fifty meters around us but it might be harder for me to sense regular bandits and thieves as they would have extremely low levels of chakra," Natsu replied pondering the situation

"Just tell me if you see a group of small signatures or any large Shinobi sized ones," Kakashi said eyeing Tazuna for a reaction but getting nothing readable from the drunk bridge builder

" **So, he noticed the way that guy has been acting too, huh?** "Kurama Yin said

" _Yeah well he isn't a Jonin for his sparkling personality_ ," Natsu thought back with a chuckle receiving one from his tenant

The group began their journey toward Nami no Kuni (The Land of Waves) and kept up a kunai formation around Tazuna with Natsu at the front Naruto to the left, Sasuke to the right, Sakura in behind Tazuna, and Kakashi bringing up the rear.

"Hey mister Tazuna," Sakura called

"Yeah what is it?" the old man replied gruffly

"Your' home is Nami no Kuni, right?"

"Yes what of it?" the man replied with an annoyed tone

"Kakashi sensei there are Ninja villages there, right?" Sakura asked in a whiny tone while Tazuna grew a small tick mark from being ignored

"No there aren't Sakura. You see in this land Ninja villages represent military strength and act as a form of protection from other countries. A small island nation like Nami no Kuni has natural protection due to the ocean currents around them. On this continent, as you know, there are five ancient nations each with their own shinobi village these are: Hi no Kuni(The Land of Fire), and Konohagakure; Kaze no Kuni(The Land of Wind), and Sunagakure; Kaminari no Kuni(The Land of Lightning), and Kumogakure; Tsuchi no Kuni(The Land of Earth), and Iwagakure; and Mizu no Kuni(The Land of Water), and Kirigakure. Each of these ninja villages also has a presiding Kage, meaning Shadow, the highest honor a ninja can receive and are basically the leader of their village and, at the time of their appointment and after, the strongest in the village knowing almost all the Jutsu of their village and how to use them: Hokage, Kazekage, Raikage, Tsuchikage, Mizukage,"

"I guess that means Lord Hokage is really important!" Sakura squealed, " _Is that old man really that important, Cha_?"

" _I got him with my Sexy Jutsu and he even saw it coming, can't be that great,_ " Naruto thought, " _ **That was really funny**_!" Kurama Yang chuckled within the boy' head

"Hey!" Kakashi barked, "You all just doubted the Hokage, didn't you?" His accusation was rewarded with Naruto and Sakura enthusiastically shaking their heads and Natsu letting out a deep sigh at his brother' ineptitude

"Well anyway don't worry too much there are no ninja battles in a C-Rank mission," Kakashi said with an eye smile

"Right!" Sakura chirped with a small smile

Tazuna had a look of fear and showed an increase in tension as when Kakashi mentioned ninja battles the old man noticeably tensed up and began to sweat profusely. Which all of Team 7 noticed, seriously this guy was so obvious it was funny.

As they moved on Natsu suddenly stopped in his tracks looking straight ahead trying to see something farther up within his 25-meter radius.

"What's wrong Natsu?" Kakashi asked in a serious tone Sakura starting to get a little worked up

"What do you think is wrong?" she whispered toward Sasuke

"We're about to get some action," Sasuke answered with a smirk while he cracked his knuckles and was surprised when Sakura adopted a more aggressive stature and smiled herself

" _Finally! A chance to prove I am a serious Kunoichi for my Sasuke-kun! Cha!"_ Sakura squealed mentally

"I sense two Chunin level chakra signatures up ahead coming from some kind of …puddle?" Natsu said questioning the last part,

"Where did a puddle come from there hasn't been any rain in weeks?" Naruto asked

"It's made of chakra I guess it's some Suiton Jutsu," Natsu explained glaring in the general direction

"Excellent observation it is likely the Hiding in Water Jutsu which means these are likely Ninja from Kirigakure," Kakashi stated coldly, "We will need to make a plan,"

"Yeah but, I think I sensed them earlier near the village gates but I thought they were simply fellow leaf shinobi who were returning home," Natsu said slightly ashamed that he couldn't deduce the enemy' presence earlier

"It's okay Natsu you made a judgement call that was very probable but now you know better," Kakashi said eye smiling at his young pupil

"Alright, thanks Kakashi-Sensei," Natsu said

 **~Time Skip: 5 Minutes~**

"Alright then are you all ready?" Kakashi asked receiving nods from the group, "Then Go!"

With that the four Genin, their charge, and Kakashi made their way down the path toward the puddle containing the two Ninja. As they neared the space Natsu used his Kitsunegan to scan the Jutsu and how it worked adding it to his repertoire.

As they passed the puddle the two Kiri nin jumped up and out of the puddle. The two of them were wearing tattered dark grey cloaks, grey chest armor, black ninja suits, black ninja sandals, strange face masks with air filters, their Kiri headbands had horizontal slashes through them, and both wore large gauntlets of incredible size each having large sharp claws for fingers and a spiked chain connecting them.

The Genin weren't sure about what their headbands signified but, they weren't given much time to think about it as the two lunged forward pulling the chain taught between them and obviously attempting to use it to slice the group to ribbons.

Sakura and Sasuke grabbed Tazuna and jumped upward into the trees. Naruto and Natsu went low just as the Kiri-nin jumped up toward the trees Kakashi' eye twinkled in realization. Tazuna, Sasuke, and Sakura jumped back down from the tree tops followed swiftly by the mist Ninja. The two lunged at the group, who were standing before a large formidable tree.

As the Kiri-nin approached the three jumped up narrowly dodging the chain attack causing the mist ninja to lock their chain in the bark of the tree. Before they could turn back and try for another sweep the two of them were tackled from behind and wrapped around the trunk of the tree by their chain. Natsu and Naruto then stood each pulling out a Kunai and using them to secure the chain to the tree trunk. As they turned to check on their team mates they heard a strange hissing sound. As they turned they were each impaled by the large clawed gauntlets of the two-mist ninja. But instead of the usual blood and guts coming from the wounds a small cloud of white smoke escaped until suddenly the two Genin had disappeared into thin air. From above in the trees Natsu and Naruto fell onto their enemies' shoulders forcing them to the ground before knocking them out and rendering them unconscious. The Uzumaki brothers walked over to the rest of the group who now burst into clouds of white smoke except Kakashi.

"Good work boys that was a great execution!" Kakashi said with an eye smile, "Now let's tie them up and try to interrogate them a bit,"

"Yes sir!" the boys cheered as they pulled ropes from each other' packs while Kakashi looked at them confused

"What?" Natsu asked tilting his head

"I just didn't expect you to bring rope along most Genin aren't that prepared," Kakashi said eye smiling

"I almost didn't until Natsu reminded me we may need it for this situation or in case someone falls off the bridge or a cliff on the way there," Naruto smiled jerking a thumb at a now bashful Natsu

"I see, _He's his father' son alright always prepared for anything_ " Kakashi said thinking the last bit

After the Kiri-nin were tied up and the ropes were inspected by Kakashi the rest of the group was allowed farther down the path. When they saw the ninja Tazuna visibly tensed and his eyes began to shift from the tied ninja to Kakashi with increasing panic.

"What aren't you telling us Tazuna?" Kakashi said his voice cold and cool already knowing the answer to his question

"I don't know what you're talking about I didn't even know there were ninja near us until that one pointed it out, and besides how do you know they were after me and not you?" Tazuna asked taking a defensive stance with his arms across his chest

"I know because when the clones of you, Sasuke, and Sakura moved the two of them moved to intercept you meaning they were most likely after you," Kakashi said his visible eye glaring daggers at Tazuna

"What does it matter if they were after me and how was I supposed to know someone sent ninja after me?" Tazuna asked still in a defensive position

"If you had said that there might be ninja after you this mission would have been classified as a B-Rank or higher and we would have charged as such." Kakashi said coolly, "But we are already too far to go back but I will bring this up again later,"

While Kakashi was busy with Tazuna Natsu was looking over the gear the Mist ninja were wearing especially the special face masks they wore.

"I wonder what these are for anyway?" Natsu asked out loud

"They're so we can survive this!" the mist ninja laughed as he dropped a purple smoke bomb down

"Poison! Everybody get back!" Natsu shouted just before the ball exploded and in that moment Natsu raised up his hands and shouted,

"Fūton: Reppūshō!" he then clapped together his hands and pushed them forward causing a huge gale of wind to form pushing the poison cloud up into the sky until it dissipated. Naruto looked on at his brother' display of power. Amazed at the speed in which Natsu had reacted to and diffused the situation.

" _We train the same way and did all the same stuff. We studied together and he made sure we ate well. So why did I freeze up and not him_?" Naruto thought trying to figure it out,

"What is wrong with me?" he whispered out to no one in particular

"I thought you had searched them before you brought us over!" Tazuna shouted

"No, I told you we tied them up not that I searched them," Kakashi shouted back, "Are you alright Natsu you didn't get hurt, did you?"

"I'm fine Kakashi-Sensei just a little surprised are the others okay?" Natsu asked

"Yeah we're all good Natsu," Sakura called as she walked out from behind Tazuna Sasuke just grunting anger etched into his face

" _How did he do that so easily and why wasn't I allowed in the attack squad part of the plan_?" Sasuke thought getting angrier and angrier his face contorting until Kakashi came up and placed a hand on Sasuke' shoulder

"I didn't put you in the attack squad not because you couldn't handle it but because I needed someone to help Sakura guard Tazuna in case those two were targeting him and not us, plus with the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu there was no risk to any of you," Kakashi said looking down at the boy trying to express his confidence in the boy's skill

"I guess I can understand but I'll never get strong enough to beat him if I'm guarding and not fighting!" Sasuke shouted

"I understand your' thirst for power and what is driving you, believe me I understand, but you must also learn the strength of a person who is willing to risk it all and protect his comrades," Kakashi said and from the tone and power behind his voice told Sasuke not to question the words of his Sensei but instead to try and understand them

"I'm still getting used to this whole 'pack' thing but I understand what you're saying and I'll try harder to be strong not just for me but for those I have with me," Sasuke said with a look of determination as he looked over at his teammates, his pack

"That's all anyone can ask," Kakashi said with an eye smile

Naruto' ears perked up at Sasuke' words and he smiled with a fire burning in his eyes, "I'll promise you something too Teme," causing Sasuke to glare a bit

"I vow to never run away and to fight until I can't anymore! I will protect the people I care about and keep them safe and happy! We're rivals from now on and friends, BELIEVE IT!" Naruto shouted with his hand up half clasped causing everyone to smile at the blond

Sasuke walked over and grabbed Naruto' hand in a bro hug, without the hug, accepting the promise with a smirk and a nod

The act left Sakura and Tazuna shocked to say the least their eyes wide and mouths agape.

Kakashi was impressed with the determination and confidence both his students displayed and knew he had just witnessed a life changing event

" **He is going to be incredibly powerful one day,"** Kurama-Yin growled in the back of Natsu' mind impressed by the boy

"Yeah got that right," Natsu said out loud gaining curious glances from the group and the two mist Ninja they had tied to a prominent oak tree

" **I'm proud of you, Naruto, and I'm gonna hold you to that promise until the day we end** ," Kurama-Yang growled in Naruto' mind

" _No need for that Kurama, I never go back on my word. That's my Nindo_!" Naruto thought with a smile on his face

"Well now that that's taken care of we can interrogate our prisoners," Kakashi said coldly as he turned toward the mist ninja, "They're Chunin from the Kirigakure known as Gozu and Meizu, the Demon Brothers and known associates of the Demon of the Bloody Mist, Zabuza Momochi. So, why don't you tell us why you attacked us and if your' buddy Zabuza is helping out or not,"

"Ha, I thought we were the only ones called 'The Demon Brothers," Natsu laughed before the mist ninja could retort

"How did you know about our ambush?" Gozu asked

"A puddle. In the middle of the road. After a dry spell?" Kakashi said dryly with a dumbfounded look on his face

"Hmph!" the Meizu grunted

"Well at least I got a great new jutsu to use!" Natsu chirped causing the mist ninja to look on in shock as Natsu, using only his chakra, sunk into the ground a puddle forming where he had been standing. Then suddenly he rematerialized from the puddle, which evaporated the instant he stepped away.

"How did you learn our technique so fast!?" the Meizu shouted incredulously

"It took us months to learn!" Gozu blurted

"I guess you two are just idiots," Natsu said nonchalantly

Right then Kakashi lunged forward and knocked them both out before turning to Natsu, "No showing off you knuckle head!" Kakashi shouted bopping Natsu on the head

"Sorry Kakashi-Sensei," Natsu bowed holding his aching head

He then created a pair of clones which then tied the two chunin up individually and ran them to the village to be interrogated further and be imprisoned by the village or turned in for bounties.

"Okay now that that's taken care of let's keep going to Nami no Kuni!" Kakashi said letting the last few seconds go trying to rally his genin squad

The group made their way to Nami no Kuni without much difficulty traversing over rivers and through thick forests. When they reached shore a friend of Tazuna' was waiting with a small boat that had both a paddle and outboard motor. The man was wearing a black shirt with a large collar and sleeves with a sleeveless brown poncho black pants with leg wrappings and a straw hat.

Around them settled a thick fog which made it nearly impossible to see and clung to them like the cold wispy hands of spirits long passed. The ferryman took them across the water passing the unfinished bridge.

Upon seeing it Naruto shouted out, "Wow that thing is huge!"

"Quiet!" growled the ferryman, "Why do you think we are going across without the motor!"

"Right, sorry" Naruto said with a light bow of his head

"Well, Tazuna-san about this job," Kakashi began

"Yeah, what about it?" Tazuna asked knowing what was coming

"This task is now beyond the scope of a C-Rank mission and beyond even normal bodyguard duty," Kakashi said his voice low and foreboding and his eye cold like ice, "Before we reach shore I need to know, Why? And if you don't tell us we will drop the mission and you at the other side of the water,"

"Well I guess I have no choice I will tell you the truth, like you said this is beyond the scope of a C-Rank mission," Tazuna began his eyes fading as he looked off into the distance, "Our story begins with a short man who casts a very long shadow,"

"Who?" Kakashi interrupted

"Oh, I'm sure you know him, or have at least heard of him, he is Gato," Tazuna said his face turning sour and his eyes cold

"Gato…As in Gato Transport? The well-known business leader" Kakashi asked his eye wide in surprise and confusion

"The very same," Tazuna began his voice sad and gruff, "He is a very powerful tycoon from a famous company true, but below the surface, in the underground, he is known as one of the most ruthless and powerful mob bosses the world has ever seen. Using the same ruthless tactics to take over companies and destroy nations he sells and traffics drugs, people, guns, and other contraband using various gangs, thugs, and ninja."

"Not long ago, Gato set his sights on our nation, he took over our trade routes and ports making any who crossed his path disappear without a trace. Without the trade routes our nation has slowly begun to starve poverty has risen and we are left defenseless against his vicious thugs and bloodthirsty gangsters," Tazuna said his eyes distant and his hands gripped tight, "In an island nation, like Nami no Kuni, a man who controls the sea controls everything government, economics, our very lives. That's why he wants me dead. The one thing he fears is that bridge because when it's finished we will be connected to the mainland and his corrupt hold on us will be forever released!"

"So that's it, you're in charge and Gato knows that without you there to hold everyone together that bridge will never be done," Sakura reasoned Sasuke, Natsu, and Kakashi nodding their heads in agreement while Naruto' face contorted in rage

"That bastard! What kind of person can do something like that to an entire nation," Naruto said his voice shaking as his anger built

"That means that those guys we fought in the forest were working for Gato," Sasuke said calmly

"It's even worse than you guys think," Natsu interjected

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked

"If Gato' ninja kill Tazuna I don't think he will tear down the bridge or even remove the remaining supplies," Natsu said

"Why not?" Tazuna asked in confusion

"From what you have said, Gato is not one to take rebellion lightly, he won't just kill you or make you disappear, no, he will make some spectacle of it to dash the hopes of your' people and then as a final counter he will leave this bridge never to be finished. A monument to the shattered hopes of your' people." Natsu said a cold rage in his eyes

"I can understand that you couldn't afford what you needed but now you have put the lives of my team in danger and that is something I can't allow," Kakashi said with a tone of finality

"I know and I would have payed you for an A-Rank mission if I could afford it but no just drop me ashore, who knows five steps in they may cut me down," Tazuna said baiting his grandfatherly guilt trap, "Of course then my sweet little grandson and my daughter will forever blame you and your' village for my death he'll cry 'Granddad, I want my granddad!' but don't feel bad just leave me defenseless and alone at the shore,"

"I guess we don't have any choice can't tarnish the name of the village for something so petty," Kakashi said a nervous eye smile on his face, "We'll guard you until you complete your' bridge,"

"Oh well much oblidged," Tazuna said cheerily, " _I_ _win_ "

 **~Time Skip: 10 Minutes~**

The group neared a large brick tunnel which cut through the nearby landmass. Once through they found themselves in a sunny port town the fog was very thin and dissipating quickly.

" _Wow_!" Naruto thought as they approached a small dock

"This is as far as I go," said the ferryman to Tazuna his face stern

"Right, thank you for taking such a risk," Tazuna said to the man

"Just be careful, old man" the ferryman said as he revved his boat engine and left

"Now I'll take you to my home, just get me there in one piece," Tazuna said to the group taking a spot in the middle

" _The next guy they send won't be Chunin they'll be Jonin, elite ninja with incredible skills_ ," Kakashi thought sighing heavily as they took a road out of town which lead them through the nearby forests

Naruto took the lead scanning the surrounding areas for any sign of danger especially the shinobi kind. Sasuke and Sakura were directly behind him also scanning for danger or other threats, the three forming a V shape. Tazuna was behind them while Natsu and Kakashi took the rear. Suddenly Naruto stopped and threw a Kunai at a bush, at the action, Natsu scanned the area around the bush but found nothing.

"What the hell was that Naruto!?" Sakura shouted hitting him in the back of the head

"I thought I saw something moving in that bush," Naruto whined rubbing the back of his head

"Yeah and I can fly you just wanted to look cool!" Sakura growled still seething at the stupidity Naruto was displaying

Naruto then turned back around facing the path only for Natsu to lunge forward at a bush up ahead of the group kunai in hand. Natsu dove into the bush and stabbed his kunai deep into the bark of a tree where seconds before someone had been sitting. Both Uzumaki could see the chakra smoke of a Kawarimi no Jutsu which was further proven by the snow-white rabbit inches below Natsu' knife.

"What the crap is wrong with you two terrorizing defenseless animals," Sakura shouted before she knelt down and hugged the rabbit close before she too realized what was wrong with the picture

Sasuke' eyes flared to life as he scanned their surroundings, his Sharringan blazing.

"That rabbit' fur shouldn't still be that white it should be much darker and brown," Kakashi thought, "The only way for it to still be so white is if someone had kept it away from sunlight deliberately maybe for a Kawarimi no Justsu"

 **~From the trees above a short distance away~**

"Ahh Kakashi Hatake the copy ninja you should make for a worthy challenge," said a raspy voice from the shadows

To be Continued

 **Thanks for reading everybody I'll get the next chapter out and about ASAP! Read up, Comment how you feel about the story!** **}-{) Check out my Poll!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys I'm Baaaaaacccckkk! Hope you missed me.**

 **I will try to be done with the Land of Waves arc within two chapters, lot of shit happens, and sorry if I forget a bit I am doing most of this from memory with a bit of re-watching for integral dialogue. Thanks for the added comments guys I really appreciate them but I still need one thing: More Comments!**

 **Something was brought to my attention though in one of the guest posts. In my story at this point Naruto and the rest of the Genin of the Konoha twelve are 13 going on 14 with the exception of Team 9 who are all 14 going on 15. By the time I reach Shippuden just assume Naruto and Natsu will be heading off to train with Jiraiya at the age of 14 or 15. By the start of shippuden he is almost 17 so Guest think like that.**

 **Now on to the fic!**

 **Chapter 7: Demon of the Mist; Legend of Blood Mist Village**

"Ahh Kakashi Hatake the Copy Ninja _you should make for a worthy challenge_ ," whispered a raspy voice from the trees above the group of Ninja, " _No wonder the Demon Brothers failed in their mission. Hatake is one of the strongest ninja in Konoha_!"

The owner of the voice was a man in his late twenties with pale tan skin, short and spiky dark brown hair bandages wrapped over his mouth as a face mask and his Kiri headband worn facing his left side in his hand he held a sword as long as he was tall. He looked down at the young Genin, their teacher, and the target of his mission, the bridge builder. The nameless ninja smiled behind his mask feeling a rush of excitement course through him. The Genin below showed no visible skill they were nothing but fresh faced Genin.

" _They won't even be a challenge to kill the four of them!"_ the nameless ninja chuckled in his mind his tone dripping with blood lust, " _Hatake will be fun to torment, I will show them what a true Demon is_!"

With that the nameless swordsman readied his blade aiming for a the blonde Genin who was still looking around darting his eyes. The swordsman threw the blade hard the shape of the blade allowing it to fly through the air like a shuriken aimed for the young boy' neck. In the instant before the blade left the tree line Kakashi' eye widened.

"Look Out!" Kakashi called as the blade flew toward the group

Upon hearing his warning Tazuna and the Genin all dove for the ground narrowly dodging the massive blade as it flew passed them and wedged itself in the side of a tree a couple meters above the group. From the same tree line a blur sped from the tree tops and came to a stop on the handle of the blade.

On the blade stood a man his back to the group his head turned toward them with a cold look in his eye sending chills down the backs of everyone except Kakashi, Natsu, and Naruto who had all seen glares much colder than that. The man stood at about 186cm his skin was tan yet pale and his hair was a dark brown he wore bandages as a face mask and a Kiri headband on the side of his head he wore vertically pinstriped grey pants with strange cow patterned arm and calf warmers.

"So, you saw that one coming, eh? _This will be more fun than I thought!_ " The nameless ninja cackled beginning to be overwhelmed by his own excitement

"Zabuza Momochi of the Seven Ninja Swordsman," Kakashi said coldly standing up and preparing himself for a fight, "Also known as The Demon of the Bloody Mist, if he's our opponent I'm going to need this,"

Kakashi then began pulling up his head-band revealing his left eye which had a large vertical scar down the center. When he opened the eye, it was red with three tomoe around the pupil.

"Kakashi of the Sharringan eye," Zabuza said calmly his voice gravely,

"Did I get that right?" he asked tauntingly

The Genin of team seven stood at the ready not sure how to react or how best to protect Tazuna. Natsu and Naruto were able to tell, thanks to their Kitsunegan, that Zabuza was very powerful if the amount of chakra he possessed was any indication.

" _What is the Sharringan?"_ Natsu and Naruto both wondered looking at their sensei trying to figure out why his left eye seemed to have different chakra than his right and what that power was

" **It is the Dojutsu of the Uchiha and is one of the most powerful Kekkei Genkai of Konohagakure** ," both halves of Kurama explained to their hosts opening a mental link between the two Jinchuriki(AN: yes they can do that especially since they are two halves of the same Bijuu and are twins!),

" **It is the epidemy of the Uchiha' strength. It allows the wielder to copy any Jutsu they see or fighting style much like your' but with no limitation on elemental Jutsu it also allows for incredible Genjutsu to be cast with a glance, again similar to your' but much more powerful especially if the Uchiha gain the next level, the Mangekiyo Sharingan. You should remember the Dojutsu that the duck butt has, that's the Sharingan but his is not fully matured nor has he gained the Mangekiyo,** " Kurama explained

" _Right that was how that masked guy hypnotized you and got you to attack the village_ ," Natsu thought

" _I wondered what it was, so how do they unlock the last level?_ " Naruto asked in thought

" **There are two ways but we will explain later the paths of this power also hold a major difference** ," Kurama explained, again simultaneously

" _What is the difference_?" Natsu asked his curiosity peeked by the explanation

" **We will explain later, for now you have more pressing concerns, like that baby demon before you** ," Kurama-Yin said while Kurama-Yang chuckled at the comment

" _Thanks Kurama_ " both brothers thought back before returning their attention to the battle about to ensue. Natsu noticed that Sasuke was paying close attention to Kakashi rather than the swordsman above.

" _Probably curious about how Kakashi got his eye,"_ Natsu reasoned noticing the different chakra within Kakashi' eye, " _Must have been some kind of transplant_ ,"

" _Does he have some kind of special power?"_ Sakura wondered

"Luckily for you I'm here on business," Zabuza began, "Now, hand over the old man or I will kill your' entire squad!"

"Quick everyone Mangi formation protect Tazuna," Kakashi ordered rousing everyone from their thoughts,

"And stay back I don't want any of you involved here he is a Jonin level shinobi and he is ruthless,"

"But we could help!" Naruto pleaded

"I said stay Back!" Kakashi snapped, "I taught you teamwork now it's time to use it! _Besides I can't lose anymore comrades_ ,"

"Well, looks like I get to see that famous eye of your' in action this is quite the honor," Zabuza teased turning toward the group

"Everyone keeps saying 'Sharingan' could one of you please explain to me what it is!?" Tazuna shouted

"Sharringan is a rare form of Dojutsu which resides within the eyes of the Uchiha clan," Sasuke began his voice calm and low,

"This Dojutsu allows the wielder to instantly comprehend and copy any and all Genjutsu, Taijutsu, or Ninjutsu and reflect it back at the attacker but there is far more,"

"You got that right punk but you barely scratched the surface of this power," Zabuza said as a mist began to form around the group, "The Sharingan allows the wielder to analyze an opponent's Justu and copy it the smallest detail,"

"Like this mist surrounding us," Natsu said his Kitsunegan hidden behind his contacts, which the brothers had decided to use for the duration of the mission, now scanning the Kirigakure no Jutsu being used by Zabuza

"Exactly," Zabuza replied surprised that the young Genin could tell the mist was a product of his Jutsu so quickly,

"As for you Hatake in the assassination corpse of Kirigakure we had a standing order to kill you on sight. Your' profile was in our bingo books you were called 'The man who copied over a thousand jutsu, Kakashi the Copy Ninja',"

" _Wow, is Kakashi-Sensei really such a famous ninja_?" Sakura thought showing obvious surprise

"Awesome Kakashi-Sensei!" Naruto cheered at the information

" _Wait a minute the sharingan only occurs in members of the Uchiha clan, My Clan!"_ Sasuke thought, " _and I don't think he is an Uchiha. So, how does he have it_?"

The mist began to thicken around the group clinging to them. Natsu and Naruto could feel the chakra throughout the mist build and build as Zabuza prepared to begin his fight with Kakashi.

The Genin of Team 7 were all desperately trying to figure out Zabuza' game plan and any counter measures they could muster.

"I've enjoyed our little chat but I need to exterminate the old man, Now!" Zabuza said coldly at this the Genin quickly took their places around Tazuna with Sasuke and Natsu toward the front and Sakura and Naruto protecting him from the rear forming a square around Tazuna.

"So I'll have to go through you first Kakashi, no problem," Zabuza growled with a sinister look in his eyes

Zabuza then lunged forward pushing off the tree he had been standing on pulling his sword free of the trunk in one swift motion and disappearing from the view. Everyone began looking around trying to catch even a fleeting glimpse of the rogue Jonin. Suddenly Zabuza came to a stop standing on top of the water his left hand pointing straight up with two fingers extended toward the sky and his right hand forming half a ram sign.

"He's over there on the water!" shouted Naruto trying to warn the others

" _He's building up a huge amount of Chakra_ ," Kakashi thought in worried anticipation

"Suiton: Kirgakure no Jutsu!" Zabuza whispered out Natsu taking in the water style technique as Zabuza disappeared into the thickest mist any of them had ever seen

"He disappeared," Naruto said in astonishment

"No he's hiding in the mist," Kakashi said scanning the area for Zabuza trying to find him

"So, who is this guy anyway?" Sakura asked twitching in fear

"Zabuza Momochi the Demon of the Bloody Mist, ex-commander of the Mist' assassination corpse and master of the Silent Killing Technique," Kakashi said his voice low and cold trying to be ready for the nearing fight

"Silent kill?" Naruto asked with a hint of interest in his voice turning to glance at his brother who nodded, " _We so gotta watch for this technique_!"

"As the name suggests it happens in an instant without sound or warning of any kind," Kakashi said apprehensively, "It's so fast that the Sharringan can't fully neutralize it's so Don't lower your guard,"

The group stood there ready to fight, their nerves buzzing with the information Kakashi just told them.

"Well if we fail we only lose our lives," Kakashi said in a deadpan tone

"How could you say that!?" Sakura squealed angrily

"The mist is getting thicker and thicker!" Naruto said in astonishment

"Nami no Kuni is surrounded by oceans the swirling mists are ever present," Tazuna said far more nervous than the young Genin now surrounding him

"Sensei!" Sakura called worry settling in her voice as the mist grew so thick the Genin lost sight of their teacher

"Eight points," Zabuza whispered

"Huh, What's that?" Sakura asked her nerves grating even harder

"Larynx, Spine, Lungs, Liver, Jugular, Subclavian Artery, Kidneys, Heart," Zabuza continued, "Now which should be my kill Point?"

The Genin were scared now their faces betraying their emotions as the terror from Zabuza' speech set in until Kakashi unleashed a huge amount of his own chakra which dissipated the mist enough to make him visible to the Genin who all became relieved at the sight of him except Sasuke.

Sasuke stood there shaking in terror his heart pounding his eyes going hazy almost blank. Sweat poured down his face and his breathing was ragged.

" _So this is the Killing Intent of two Jonin in combat. It's almost unreal_ " Sasuke thought with some fear,

"Don't worry Sasuke I will never let any of my comrades die," Kakashi said with an eye smile, "So just focus on protecting Tazuna,"

"Pretty big talk for someone who can't even find me," Zabuza snickered from the deep mist appearing behind Naruto and Sasuke unheard and with almost no disturbance of the mist, "Hope you can keep that promise!"

Zabuza lashed out with his blade at the Genin only to be blocked by an invisible blade coming from a single kunai. Zabuza looked on in shock seeing the kunai in the hands of the red haired genin

"Fūton: Shinkūjin," Natsu whispered as he glared up at the opposing Jonin, his eyes glowing behind his contacts

Zabuza pushed forward against Natsu forcing him back while Naruto and the others moved Tazuna to hide him in the tree line. Natsu dropped his jutsu and rolled out of the Kubikirinobochi' path and was joined by Sasuke and Naruto, who had left clones with Tazuna and Sakura. The three Genin all brandished their kunai while Naruto and Natsu reactivated their Fūton: Shinkūjina coating their blades in wind chakra expelled from their mouths elongating the kunai to full katana while Naruto' was made into a Tanto, in length.

"This is fun and all kids but I've got to finish off the geezer and get back to my employer," Zabuza said with a sickening grin behind his mask and an amused look in his eyes

"You good bro?" Naruto asked looking over to his brother

"Yeah, I'll be fine as soon as this guy's taken care of!" Natsu growled bringing himself into his Kenjutsu stance

"Ha neat trick kid but it'll take more than that to defeat me!" Zabuza laughed before he too readied his blade

"I told you to stay back," Kakashi said coming to his student' aid

"Yeah, and you also told us never to leave a comrade behind," Sasuke said his earlier fear gone replaced with a firm resolve which shown brightly in his spinning Sharingan

"You guys are insane but, you're not just Genin either, let's do this," Kakashi said with pride before he glared hard at Zabuza

"You won't be killing Tazuna-san today," Kakashi growled at Zabuza

"We'll see about that besides what can a bunch of fresh faced Genin do against the Demon of the Bloody Mist!?" Zabuza sneered with a cackle

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki, the next Hokage of the Konohagakure no Sato and we are no mere Genin," Naruto said as he tightened his headband and pressed his thumb into his chest his eyes glowing slightly behind his contacts,

"I never back down and I don't give up I will never let anyone stop me from reaching my goals and I will never let anyone harm those I care about and get away with it!" he growled out with total confidence and determination

"You tell him bro," Natsu said his eyes glowing behind his contacts as well, "I won't back down either and I will protect my comrades with everything I have!"

Sasuke nodded at that his own eyes glowing brighter as a third tomoe formed in his right eye, "None of us in Konoha will do any less for those precious to us!"

" _They have all grown so much_ , I'm proud to call you my students," Kakashi said with his own kunai ready and his Sharingan trained on Zabuza

"Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!" Naruto shouted making a series of hand-signs before pulling his hand up and spitting out several small fire balls at the same time Sasuke made similar hand signs

"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!" Sasuke shouted sending out a single fireball which became surrounded by Naruto' smaller ones

Natsu raised his hands and clapped as he called, "Fūton: Reppūshō!" the three justsu mixed together the flames growing stronger and moving even faster catching Zabuza off guard enough that while he dodged the brunt of the onslaught he was burned several times by the flames and left with several small cuts from the shuriken hidden amongst the fireballs.

"GAAAHH You Damn Brats, "Zabuza rasped outed in pain, "I'll get you for that!"

"Bring it!" Natsu said taunting Zabuza who lunged forward only for the brother to split up so while Natsu again blocked the brunt of the blow Naruto came upon Zabuza' left flank and delivered a swift slash to the unguarded side only for Zabuza to dodge at the last second

Kakashi then turned his attention to Zabuza who was now standing on the water' surface sword in hand ready to strike. Kakashi lunged forward stabbing Zabuza in the stomach only for him to turn into a water version of Zabuza and melt into a puddle.

" _Sweet Jutsu,"_ Natsu thought smirking devilishly, " _Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu_ _, can't wait to try that one_ "

" _A water clone then where is the real…"_ Kakashi thought but was interrupted as he was encased in a ball of water that was heavy with chakra

"Suirō no Jutsu!" Zabuza shouted as he came up from beneath the water' surface, "You're not so tough Kakashi! To think the Mist Village once made you such a priority,"

Kakashi began to struggle within the water causing Zabuza to let loose a sinister grin, "Struggle all you want Kakashi it won't save you and while I wait for you to drown I think I'll have some fun with your' students!" Zabuza said as he made three more water clones which drew it' sword running toward the three Genin

"Get out of her leave me!" Kakashi shouted, "We only had a chance while I was still in play!"

"Not a chance Sensei," Natsu said giving a cocky smirk to the approaching Mizu Bunshin before he lunged forward and made a clean cut down the center of the clone and dispelling it

"Like you told us those who break the rules are scum," Naruto said readying his Shinkūjina and lunging forward and stabbing the clone in the stomach causing it to dispel into a puddle of water

"But those who abandon their friends are worse than scum," Sasuke finished driving his own kunai through a water clone

Kakashi was stunned by their words and actions saying, "Well then fight hard if the bridge builder will allow it,"

The Genin all turned to Tazuna who sighed and said, "Well I guess I owe you guys one anyway if I hadn't lied when I placed this mission order you wouldn't be in this mess, Save your' Sensei!" Tazuna shouted at the Genin all but Sakura charged forward as Zabuza conjured another set of water clones to fight them off these being slightly tougher though according to the Uzumaki brother' dojutsu

"This one won't die so easily," Natsu warned Sasuke who nodded seeing the same with his Sharingan, albeit in less detail, and readied his kunai

Natsu and Naruto then each made a cross shaped hand-sign and shouted, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" creating some twenty clones each in the small clearing all of them holding a Shinkūjina and grinned viciously at the water clones which quickly drew their swords and ran toward the massive group of clones.

The water clones began slashing furiously at the group of shadow clones forcing the originals back as with every slash of their swords the Zabuza clones took out another Uzumaki clone. Within minutes the field of clones was reduced back to the two originals, who were both panting lightly from the combined exertion of being killed twenty times, and Sasuke who looked in wonder at the display of chakra Naruto then pulled from his backpack a large shuriken and threw it to Sasuke who upon catching it spun around

"Leaf Style Shuriken Jutsu: Demon Wind Shuriken: Windmill of Death!" Sasuke shouted as he unfurled the shuriken and threw it at the water clone which was now guarding the real Zabuza(AN: I am too lazy to find the Japanese name for this technique)

"ha! Try whatever you want but no matter what it won't work!" Zabuza cackled as he watched Sasuke throw the shuriken at the water clone when suddenly the shuriken took a sharp turn and avoided the Water clone completely coming straight at the original and was coming fast.

" _So, he decided to avoid the clone and come straight for me?_ " Zabuza thought,

"No matter you can't hit me!" Zabuza shouted as the shuriken came closer and closer and in the last instant Zabuza ducked out of the shuriken' path while keeping his hand secured in the Water Prison Jutsu but then Zabuza' eyes widened when he realized that the shuriken' shadow was still coming at him.

" _He hid a second shuriken in the shadow of the first_ ," Kakashi thought while still struggling to get free of the jutsu, " _Impressive_ _boys_ ,"

" _Will he dodge it like the last one or will he move out of the way?_ " Sakura thought worriedly

As the shuriken came closer he smiled and in the last instant he jumped bringing his legs up over the shuriken' path and keeping the Water Prison stable

"Ha see I told you it wouldn't hit me!" Zabuza laughed as he watched the shock on the genin' faces turn from horrific to one of surprise

" _What is so amazing_?" Zabuza thought as he turned his head and his eyes widened in shock as where the dodged shuriken should be, was instead the orange clad genin who had burned him earlier and flying at Zabuza' right arm was a kunai knife. In his shock Zabuza dodged left releasing his arm from the Water Prison Jutsu causing it to collapse releasing Kakashi who instantly jumped back and got into a fighting stance. Naruto stood on the water' surface not far from the ensuing fight he then used the  Shunshin and appeared next to his brother.

"Good work Kit," Natsu said with a proud smile on his face, "and you as well Sasuke-Chan"

"Humph," Sasuke grunted with a smirk before fist bumping Naruto

" _Naruto and Sasuke-Kun worked so well together and they didn't even have to say a word_ ," Sakura thought, " _Cha, why can't Sasuke-Kun act like that with me instead of Naruto!_ "

As the genin got into a protective formation around Tazuna Zabuza and Kakashi squared off with each other. Kakashi' Sharingan eye seemed to be dimming but began to swirl unnoticeably, hypnotizing Zabuza slightly the longer the two stared each other down.

"If you think you can beat me you are sorely mistaken," Zabuza said as he began going through a fast succession of over twenty hand-signs Kakashi copying him in rapid succession as they neared the end the two shouted simultaneously,

"Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu!" Two large streams of water began to rise from the lakes surface taking the form of dragons before crashing into each other

" _How could he have known what I was about to do the Sharringan is only supposed to let him copy me but he was moving almost as quickly as I was if not faster like I was following him_ ," Zabuza thought, "Nice trick but you're nothing more than a monkey copying everything I do…"

"You can't beat me with cheap tricks like that!" Kakashi and Zabuza said in unison as Kakashi began mirroring Zabuza' movements perfectly going through another complex set of hand-signs while in the middle of the set Kakashi picked up speed and shouted, "Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu!"

A huge vortex of water appeared in front of Kakashi and hit Zabuza carrying him a few meters away and slamming him into a large tree Kakashi didn't miss a beat and without hesitation threw several Kunai at Zabuza pinning him to the tree.

"How did you do that I was going to use the Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu!" Zabuza shouted when a horrifying thought occurred to him, "Can your' eye see into the future?"

"Yes, and today is your' last battle Zabuza," Kakashi said as he prepared to throw a kunai at the rouge mist ninja but just before the kunai left Kakashi' hand a pair of senbon pierced Zabuza' neck 'killing' him instantly

Kakashi and the rest of the group looked over to a large tree branch standing there was a young Ninja with a white mask with red wave markings and the symbol of Kirigakure.

The young ninja the jumped down and said, "Thank you for weakening him we have been trying to take him down since he left the village," the young ninja then picked up Zabuza' body and sword and used the Shunshin to leave the battle field.

"Who was that Kakashi-Sensei?" Naruto asked annoyed at the masked ninja' attitude, "And why did he take Zabuza' body?"

"That was a Tracker Ninja from the Anbu of Kirigakure," Kakashi said, "When a ninja goes rogue Tracker Ninja, like that young girl, will be sent after them to take them out before the rogue can divulge the secrets of a village."

"That makes sense I mean imagine if they could take Sasuke' body our enemies would have the Sharingan or at least an understanding of what allows the Uchiha to use it," Natsu said in a logical manner

"Are you saying they could beat me?" Sasuke growled

"Yes, but that's not my point," Natsu said as Sasuke tried to hit him missing with every attack, "But that does beg the question,"

"What question?" Sakura and Naruto asked simultaneously, even Sasuke had stopped his assault to listen

"Why didn't that Tracker Ninja destroy the body here and now?" Kakashi finished looking grim from over using his eye

"Yeah, there is a chance that some of Zabuza is still there and it's definitely on your' Kunai Kakashi-Sensei," Natsu said trying to figure out what was going on when suddenly Kakashi lost his footing and started to fall but was quickly caught by Naruto

"Kakashi-Sensei are you all right!?" Sakura asked worried about her teacher who was also the only one who could protect them from any rogue ninja still nearby

"Yeah, I'll be fine Sakura I just used too much chakra I just need to rest for a couple of days," Kakashi said with an eye smiling relieving the group of their worries

"Is your' daughter' house nearby Tazuna-San?" Natsu asked turning the group' attention back to the old man

"Uh yes, yes it's just up the road and at the end of the dock nearest the road," Tazuna said looking around and getting his bearings after the ordeal they had just gone through

"Sasuke, Naruto Help me carry Kakashi-Sensei then," Natsu said as he grabbed Kakashi' torso holding him up by looping his arms under Kakashi' while Naruto and Sasuke each grabbed a leg. Wanting to help Sakura grabbed Kakashi' pack and the six of them took off down the path toward Tazuna' Daughter' house

" _I still wonder what was up with that Tracker Ninja and what her connection to Zabuza is?_ " Natsu thought as they carried on

" _ **I don't know but whatever it is I don't think we've seen the last of them**_ ," Kurama-Yin said from within Natsu' mindscape

"Hey Natsu," Naruto said eagerly as they lugged their teacher to the house

"Yeah what's up?" Natsu asked

"Did you get those Jutsu down?" Naruto whispered trying to keep Sasuke from hearing

"I think but I need to practice them before I use them in battle," Natsu said with a grin Naruto and Kakashi both nodded in approval while Sasuke was confused

"What are you guys talking about?" Sasuke asked only to be ignored by everyone, "Someone tell me!"

"Later Sasuke, but this is an S-Rank secret so we have to be sure who we tell it to, you understand?" Naruto asked giving Sasuke a rarely seen serious look

 **~Time Skip: Tazuna' house ten minutes~**

"Tsunami! I'm home and I brought guests!" Tazuna called as they entered the house

A woman, with waist length black hair and onyx eyes, wearing a pink T-shirt and an ankle length skirt came around a corner and smiled warmly at the group before hugging Tazuna tightly

"Father, I'm so happy you're alright!" Tsunami said with genuine relief

"Of course I am, Gato' men can't get passed these Shinobi!" Tazuna boasted for the Leaf ninja

"Thanks for the praise Tazuna-san and it's a pleasure to meet you Tsunami-san but where can we put our Sensei, he's heavy!" Naruto said playing up the adorable to village outsiders card

"Oh of course, we have two guest rooms upstairs, first door on the left," Tsunami said with a cheerful smile

"Thank you," Natsu said as he, Naruto, and Sasuke helped Kakashi to the guest room

"Will he be alright?" Tsunami asked Sakura

"Yeah, he just needs some sleep and he'll be fine in a day or two," Sakura replied with a bright smile

"Well, in any case, thank you for coming to our aid and protecting my father," Tsunami said with a light bow

"No worries, _Cha_!" Sakura said with a smile

 **~Time Skip: later that night~**

Natsu was sleeping on the floor in one of the guest rooms which he was sharing with Kakashi, Sasuke, and Naruto. Natsu was tossing and turning in his sleep as visions filled his mind.

Suddenly Natsu opened his eyes and found himself in a large cave with a few torches being the only source of light in the space scanning the walls of the cave trying to figure out where he was. He looked around until his eyes rested upon a pedestal in the center of the room. Resting on the pedestal was a katana with a polished onyx black sheath, a red spiral guard, red-black wrappings on the hilt, and a golden cap on the butt of the hilt.

"Kurama-yin do you know what this is?" Natsu asked feeling as though he was being called to the magnificent blade

" **You are dreaming but I too feel drawn to this sword** ," Kurama-Yin said confused at the situation

"Then is this a dream or a vision?" Natsu asked as he reached out toward the blade

" **It must be a vision it seems your brother may be having one as well** ," Kurama-Yin said as Natsu began to wake up, the vision fading just before he could pick up the sword.

Natsu and Naruto shot up from their futons each sweating and panting from the visions they had seen.

"Did you see it too?" Natsu asked looking over at Naruto noticing that both Sasuke and Kakashi were both still asleep

"If by 'it' you mean a cave lit by torches with a kodachi on a pedestal in the middle of it, then yeah," Naruto said looking around, "Do you still feel that tug in your' stomach?"

"Yeah but in my vision, it was a full katana," Natsu said looking toward the window staring off toward a mountain not far from the village

"You want to follow it now don't you?" Naruto asked sighing in frustration at his brother' face

"Yes!" Natsu said as he got dressed hurriedly trying to not wake the others

"Fine, but we should leave a note," Naruto said as he began getting dressed and Natsu began writing up a quick note and placing it on his futon as the two of them leapt out the window heading toward the mountain.

As Naruto jumped down from the window Kakashi opened his eye

 **~To Be Continued~**

 **Hey guys, sorry for the short chapter but, thanks for reading and hope you All enjoyed it! Remember to comment and give me feedback! Also check my poll it is different than the summons which will be announced when important. Hope you guys stay loyal and prepare for the next step in the Land of Waves!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey Guys, thanks for reading hope you enjoyed the last chapter!**

 **(In best Smeagle voice ever)** _ **Eyes needs the Preecioouus Comments!**_

 **I am going ahead with the story and from now on the "Kitsunegan" Dojutsu used by the Uzumaki twins will be Yellow for Natsu and Red for Naruto. It may be confusing but I just had the idea yesterday and think it better interprets the difference between the yin and yang chakras. Sorry for the long wait but I am looking for work and can't find as much time to write as I would like.**

 **Now to the Fic!**

 **Chapter 8: Blades of the Nine-tails: Kakashi-Sensei' Super-Secret Training!**

Natsu dropped down from the window ledge and looked up as Naruto readied himself and dropped down from the ledge. The moon hung high above the water only a crescent leaving the land around them in darkness. The boys' faces were hidden in shadows their eyes shining brightly in the night Naruto' glowing a vibrant ethereal red while Natsu' glowed a piercing predatory yellow they were wearing their normal clothes, but had left their weights back at the house.

The boys set off toward the mountain following the tugging sensation in their guts. They quickly made it to the base of the mountain five kilometers away from the village and began to walk up the south face, utilizing the tree climbing exercise, being drawn by the feeling to the top of the mountain.

"What do you think is up there?" Naruto asked Natsu as they climbed

"Probably the swords we saw in those visions," Natsu said as they continued up the mountain until they found a small alcove that was too small to walk upright in below the summit, "You think this is the way in?"

"I guess," Naruto said looking up toward the summit, "We're too far from the summit for any civilians to get here and this looks to be a pretty deep tunnel plus I don't think anyone could see this from the village,"

"Well then let's go," Natsu said as he began to crawl into the tunnel Naruto close behind him.

The tunnel reach deep into the heart of the mountain the tunnel becoming brighter the farther down the tunnel the two went, "Why is it getting brighter?"

"Maybe there are some torches or something like in those visions we had?" Naruto said with a pondering look on his face

When they reached the end of the tunnel they came upon a vast circular cavern with several torches lining the walls. In the center of the room was a pedestal with an additional two torches one on each side of the pedestal but, unlike the others these two weren't lit and they had strange blue powder in them and sealing arrays etched into the torch bowls. The two standing torches lit with a blue fire and a weird purple dome came into view and dispelled itself.

On the pedestal sat a katana with a one meter blade in an onyx black sheath with a gold etching of the Kyuubi along the sheeth, a red spiral guard, red-black wrappings, and gold cap on the butt of the hilt above the katana on a holding rack was an identical kodachi, with a half a meter blade.

"Is that the katana from your' dream?" Naruto asked as they moved closer

"Yeah, is that the kodachi from yours?" Natsu asked as they reached the central pedestal and Natsu noticed a scroll on the pedestal before the blades

"Yup!" Naruto answered, his eyes taking in the fantastic blade as Natsu picked up the scroll and began reading it aloud

"Welcome fellow Uzumaki," Natsu read from the scroll, "If you are reading this then you have found the cave I bet you didn't notice but there was a barrier on the exit that keeps anyone without Uzumaki blood in their veins from entering. These blades were forged before the downfall of our clan after Hashirama Senju created Konohagakure and began the village system.

The blades were forged from mixing shavings from the claws of the Kyuubi, collected at the Valley of the End, with chakra conducting metals creating a pair of nearly unbreakable swords which will never dull. When they were forged the elders marked the blades with powerful seals. The seals allow the owner to call the blade back to them from anywhere, this is a special summoning seal which will appear on your' dominant hand when you retrieve the blade. The seals also safeguard the blades from any non-Uzumaki by syphoning the persons chakra and sealing it within a large storage seal in the hilt, which can be drawn upon by the wielder in crisis. Finally, there is a transformative seal on the blades which will respond to the Yokai-chakra of the Kyuubi, whose Jinchuriki will likely be an Uzumaki due to their special chakra and longevity, making the blades into a weapon the user has an even greater affinity for.

I hope they serve you well and help you in your' battles. I have also left behind a storage scroll containing several scrolls on basics of Fuinjutsu, storage seals for items and Jutsu, some seals for explosive tags, barriers, and one scroll on basic Uzumaki Kenjutsu,

These blades once served me well, even without their full potential, I hope they serve you just as well.

-Luck to you in all you strive for!"

"Cool!" Naruto shouted as he reached for the kodachi feeling a small tug on his chakra before his hand burned slightly,

"Damn it what was that!?" Naruto shouted dropping the kodachi

The brothers looked at the 'burn' to see a glowing sealing array appear across Naruto' right hand. The seal faded and Naruto picked up the blade again. This time there was no tug nor any burning sensation.

"I guess that it was registering me as the wielder of the Kodachi," Naruto said his eyes glued to the blade as he drew the blade revealing it to be a deep reflective black and a strange seal etched into the blade with the kanji for 'Kyuubi' in the central array and guard, "Incredible!"

" **That is my chakra. It seems to be just as the note says the blade recognized your' Uzumaki chakra and is no longer pulling on your' reserves** ," Kurama-Yang said to Naruto, " **I wonder what your' will become when you apply my chakra** ,"

"Yeah, wait you know Fuinjutsu?" Naruto asked getting a curious glance from Natsu who was rereading the letter

" **Yes, I have some knowledge from my previous two containers as they were both high level Uzumaki seal mistresses,** " Kurama-yang explained

"Can you tutor us then?" Naruto asked hopefully

" **Why not I can't do much else in here plus if you represent me, you need to be strong** ," Kurama-yang chuckled with a fierce grin

"What up?" Natsu asked curious

"Kurama will train us in Fuinjutsu since he has memories from his previous containers even though he was held on a tight leash in his other seals," Naruto explained with an earsplitting grin

"Really?" Natsu questioned receiving a nod from Kurama-yin, "Sweet!"

Natsu turned towards the katana and reached forward picking it up and feeling a tug on his chakra before it stopped and felt the seal applying itself to his hand. He bit back the pain being prepared for it after Naruto' ordeal. As he drew the blade he saw a seal etched into one side of the blade with the kanji for 'Kyuubi' in the center of the array and was taken in by the refective onyx blade,

"These seals are definitely what the letter says," Natsu explained as he examined the blade under his 'Kitsunegan',

"Looks like if we want to activate the seal we apply some Yokai-chakra directly to it and it will transform the entire blade into something. The letter says another weapon but it isn't very specific," Natsu said curious as to his own weapon

" **Impressive** ," Kurama-Yin said admiring the intricate seal and the exquisite shine to the onyx blade and the sheer power within it, " **I would never expect humans could forge something so impressive,** "

"Well they can now, let's see what we get!" Natsu cheered getting a nod from Naruto

The brothers closed their eyes and concentrated sending Bijuu chakra through their arms and into the storage seal on their respective blades. Suddenly the brothers opened their eyes and in a blinding flash of light the blades transformed. Natsu and Naruto looked down at the weapons now resting in their hands.

In Naruto' hand was a short bo staff about his height made of the same metal as the sword with the same fox design as along the sheath and a red spiral on each of the ends. The staff was well balanced and sturdy. He found it almost instinctual to use but knew he needed to practice an actual style. He looked over and was astonished at his brother.

In Natsu' hand was an exquisite archer' bow with various wave patterns itched into it and a red whirlpool above the grip on the front face. Natsu reached to where the bow string should be, but wasn't and instantly he felt a pull on his chakra as a string materialized. He pulled back on the string and a blue ethereal arrow materialized before he released it creating a deep crater in the side of the cave.

"Holy shit!" Naruto exclaimed seeing the damage caused by the arrow

"I know, hey your' is cool too," Natsu commented seeing his brother' Bo staff impressed by it' design

"Yeah, now how do we return 'em to normal?" Naruto asked

" **I will just cut the flow of my chakra to the seal** ," Kurama-yang explained before he cut the flow and the Bo staff reverted back to an onyx Nodachi

"Cool, but, I thought I did cut the flow?" Naruto pondered

" **I had to maintain it to maintain the weapon but there is no damage to your' system nor does there seem to be any sign** ," Kurama-yang explained

"Hey how did your' turn back?" Natsu asked

"Ask Kurama-yin to cut the flow," Naruto replied

"Can you stop supplying Kurama-yin?" Natsu asked respectfully

" **Of course, I must say these blades are incredible, for human constructs,** " Kurama-yin scoffed as he stopped the flow of Yokai-chakra to the seal, " _ **Those Uzumaki were really ingenious experts in Fuinjutsu**_ ,"

"Thanks, I can't wait to practice with these!" Natsu cheered

Natsu looked up from his blade while sheathing it and saw Naruto looking through the Fuinjutsu scrolls with an unheard-of look of concentration on his face which made Natsu burst with laughter.

"What's so funny!?" Naruto whined while his brother continued laughing

"Nothing, nothing I just have never seen you so focused, unless you're studying with Hinata-chan, since you could have just used your' Dojutsu to memorize them for later, right?" Natsu asked holding back his laughter

"I already did that for all of these but I was trying to see how to improve upon these basic designs to make more advanced ones since I doubt we will find too much advanced Fuinjutsu back in Konoha," Naruto hmphed giving Natsu a bit of a glare and blush

"Good idea sorry for that," Natsu said apologetically

"No problem, here" Naruto said giving Natsu a chance to memorize the different seals

"Well now that we're done here let's store the scrolls and head back before anyone notices we're gone," Natsu said as he returned the scrolls to the given one before storing his katana in a blank scroll he carried, Naruto following his brother' lead

The brothers went back to the exit and took note of the barrier seal etched into the cave wall just below the mouth of the tunnel memorizing it to protect their apartment while they were away after so many of the civilians had broken in and trashed the place.

The trek back to the house was silent as they boys digested their discovery and the new Fuinjutsu they had just received. When they reached the house, the sun was just rising and the others were still asleep all except Kakashi who was sitting up meditating and apparently waiting for the Genin to return.

"So, did you two have fun on your' little early morning run?" Kakashi asked as he opened his eye obviously trying to interrogate the boys

"Yeah, we did a few laps between here and the bridge and the mountain," Naruto said a bit nervous at the questioning

"Oh really," Kakashi said feigning interest, "Did you find anything interesting on your' run?"

"No nothing much just the advanced poverty throughout the village," Natsu said with a sad look on his face as though seeing something again

"Yes, this village seems to be in desperate need of aid but as soon as the bridge is complete things should pick back up," Kakashi said putting a hand on Natsu and Naruto' shoulders before he squeezed harshly, "I know your' keeping something from me whatever it is tell me now and this will be your' only punishment,"

"Yes Sir!" the boys yelped in pain pulling out the three sealing scrolls from their pouches

"Where did you get these sealing scrolls?" Kakashi asked looking at their contents seeing the characters for katana, kodachi, and scroll on them, "Did you steal them?"

"No!" the boys blurted before quieting down

"We had these weird dreams last night," Natsu said trying to explain quickly

"Yeah, believe it!" Naruto said, "When we woke up from the dreams we felt this tug like something was calling us to the mountain,"

"We're not sure if it's because we are Uzumaki or the other thing but no matter we went out and up the mountain to figure out what was up and see what was calling us," Natsu said trying to explain their impossible situation

"So, you two decided to not tell anyone and go up there alone to find whatever it was that was calling you?" Kakashi asked receiving a nod from the two, "That doesn't tell me where you got the scrolls,"

"Anyway, when we reached near the top of the mountain we found a small tunnel entrance which lead us to a large cave lit by several torches," Natsu explained, "In the middle of the room was a pedestal with two standing torches and a barrier around it when we approached, the torches lit with a blue fire and the barrier became visible before it collapsed letting us get to the swords and scrolls on the pedestal,"

"Yeah look I even kept the note that was on the pedestal with everything explaining it all, believe it!" Naruto blurted handing Kakashi the note

"Well I guess this checks out just tell us next time. Now are you guys gonna show me or what?" Kakashi asked

"We left a note," Naruto said pointing to the scroll on their folded mats

"So you did, I just wanted to give you a hard time," Kakashi said with a teasing eye smile

Naruto and Natsu then picked up their respective storage scrolls and bit their thumbs swiping blood onto the seal and infusing their chakra in releasing their new weapons. Kakashi' eye widened when he saw the blades being drawn in by the etching on the sheath and the power emanating from them. Kakashi reached toward the blades before he remembered what happens when a non-Uzumaki touches the blade.

"Impressive you two but remember even the greatest sword in the world is worthless if wielded by a novice," Kakashi said trying to seem wizened

"We know and we are gonna learn the Uzumaki style and use it to finish our own but can you show us a few moves or something?" Natsu asked

"Why would you think I would know anything about that?" Kakashi asked curious as he hadn't carried a sword in years

"You used to wear a short sword when you were on our father' team," Natsu whispered

Kakashi' eyes widened at that as his Sensei' identity was kept classified to the next generation at least his teacher being the father of Natsu and Naruto, "Who told you that?" Kakashi asked his eye becoming a cold slit

"The thing we can't speak of," Naruto answered with a smile

"How did it that shouldn't be possible though!" Kakashi said panicked

"Well tough shit it is so will you teach us or not?" Natsu asked already tired of this conversation

"I can't show you anything until I have regained some more of my chakra," Kakashi said annoyed at his student' rudeness

"Okay then, we'll just work on what we have while we wait for Gato' big move?" Natsu asked upset that he wouldn't be able to learn more than the basic style

"I'm sorry but the forms I know require the use of chakra for the different attacks," Kakashi explained

"We understand Kakashi-Sensei," Naruto and Natsu said together

"So, are we in trouble?" Natsu asked putting his sword down next to him

"No, and like I said that pinch to the shoulder is your' only punishment," Kakashi said with an eye smile,

"Besides I don't think you two would have had an ounce of focus invested in this mission if I had stopped you," Kakashi laughed

"Great well we had better actually get some practice then," Natsu said with a smile as he reached down for his sword only for his hand to find the bare wood floor of the room

"Where'd my sword…?" Natsu began as he looked around seeing Sasuke with the blade in his hand, "Sasuke give that back you can't use it!"

"Why not afraid I'm better with it than you?" Sasuke asked as his face began to pale slightly

"No Baka, there is a seal on the hilt which drains your chakra and stores it in the blade if you aren't an Uzumaki!" Natsu said matter-O-Factly watching Sasuke' chakra drain

"I…don't…feel it…yet," Sasuke panted as he quickly lost chakra to the blade

"Sasuke drop it now!" Kakashi ordered scaring Sasuke into dropping the blade which clattered to the floor Sasuke' face gaining back some color without the blade in his hand, "Next time don't take things that don't belong to you from your' comrades,"

Sasuke nodded and turned to Natsu, "Sorry about that it is just such an impressive sword,"

"Yeah, I forgive you but be careful, this thing would have killed you had we not stopped you," Natsu said picking up his katana and placing it with his things while he put back on his training weights for training later

"So, what are you going to call them?" Kakashi asked after Sasuke left the room

The boys began to ponder the names of their weapons when Natsu' head shot up and he said, "Akuma no Seigi(Demon' Justice)!"

"To the point but not without it' flare," Kakashi said, "Naruto?"

"Sanda no Kyuubi(Nine-tails Thunder)!" Naruto said with a grin as he looked over at Kakashi

"Well it is fitting of you Naruto," Kakashi said with a bit of a sweat-drop at the simplicity of the name but the ideas it gave, "Well then after breakfast we have some special training to do. We need you all ready to fight Zabuza again"

"So, you think he is alive too, huh?" Naruto asked

"Of course, had I not been so exhausted I would have gone after that fake Hunter nin," Kakashi explained

Naruto, Natsu, and Kakashi went downstairs for breakfast, the brothers helping their still weakened sensei. When they got into the dining room they saw Sakura helping Tsunami prepare and cook the food while Sasuke brooded in his seat thinking of getting his own sword when they returned to Konoha.

Across from Sasuke was Tazuna who was sipping some coffee and waiting for Kakashi to come down to discuss the guard duty for that day. Next to Tazuna was Tazuna' grandson, Inari, a young boy wearing overalls with a beige shirt and fisherman' hat. The boy seemed upset but whatever was bothering him wasn't obvious to anyone.

"Good morning you three did you sleep well?" Tsunami asked as the three took their seats at the table giving a consensus of 'Yes'

"So, which of you is guarding me today?" Tazuna asked a bit annoyed that his senior guard was basically out of commission

"Well today we need to train these guys a bit so we will come later after some basic training but with Zabuza dead Gato will need some time to come up with a better plan," Kakashi said his hands up in a hands-off manor

"What if they attack while your' training!?" Tazuna shouted as he stood up

Before Kakashi could answer Natsu looked over and said, "Naruto and I can do both,"

Everyone was surprised by Natsu' comment Sasuke recovering the quickest saying, "Won't you miss out on training?"

"No, when we use the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu I can be in fifty places at once and take in the memories of each clone," Natsu explained while he crossed his fingers in a familiar hand-sign,

"How was I supposed to know it did that?" Sasuke defended

"Even if it didn't I could leave fifty clones to guard Tazuna and train with Kakashi!" Natsu said with a gloat filled grin

"Well then, I guess that's the plan Tazuna," Kakashi said taken aback by how well the Uzumaki brothers could use the Jutsu

"Don't worry Mr. Tazuna we'll protect you so that you can build your' bridge and return hope to your' people! Believe It!" Naruto said with a reassuring smile

 **~With Zabuza the day before~**

The masked Tracker Ninja appeared deep in the mist laden forest several kilometers from the group of Leaf Shinobi. The masked shinobi laid Zabuza' body down on a patch of soft grass as they pulled out a tool pouch, from their robe, rolling it out next to Zabuza' body and pulling from it a pair of pliers to remove the senbon from Zabuza' neck. As the masked ninja brought the pliers closer to the downed man' neck Zabuza' hand shot up grabbing the masked ninja' wrist effectively stopping them from moving.

"Kami damn it Haku why do you always have to use the neck!?" Zabuza rasped out glaring at the now named Haku

"There isn't as much dense muscle so the needles sink through more easily so I don't have to worry about them missing or not hitting correctly and actually killing you," Haku answered with a feminine smile as she removed her mask

"Trust a woman to smile when discussing killing the men in her life," Zabuza croaked as he pulled the needles from his own neck

"Keep removing them like that and you really will be dead soon," Haku smiled as she picked Zabuza back up and Shunshined them away back to their hideout deeper in the forests surrounding the village

 **~Time Skip: Zabuza' Lair~**

Haku had Shunshined them into Zabuza' room in their lair. The room was dark, lit only by a few scattered candles, with deep blue-purple curtains hanging from the walls and a large dark colored wood door.

"The damage isn't too bad and you should be fine within two weeks," Haku said smiling down at the man who was her everything even if he didn't share her feelings, "You should be able to fight by then as well,"

As Zabuza was about to make some remark about only needing a week to be able to defeat Kakashi and his brats the door to the room was slashed several times by a pair of katana in quick succession obliterating the door and allowing those on the other side into the room.

From the now open doorway two men walked in each wielding a katana the one on the left had white hair with dark eyes and manscara lines drawn down his cheeks he wore a dark blue beanie, a light blue hoodie with multiple buttons and pockets, and a pair of black shorts wielding a basic katana with a white-blue wrapped hilt.

The other man was slightly more intimidating with several scars and piercings decorating his face along with an eye patch, he had several large tattoos on his exposed chest and wore a kimono skirt and wrapping while wielding another basic katana with bandage wrappings on the hilt.

Next through the open doorway was a very short man with grey hair styled in a cube on the top of his head but with curls of hair flowing down the back creating a strange curly box mullet, he wore a pair of circular sunglasses and an expensive looking black suit with a yellow shirt and purple tie and carried a hand crafted wooden cane with golden accents.

"Look at this 'The Demon of the Bloody Mist' beaten down by a single Jounin and a group of snot nosed brats!" Gato chuckled as he looked at the defeated Zabuza, "I hired you to take out that bridge builder if you can't do that then I will have to find someone who can!"

"I'll do it I just need more time," Zabuza said as he glared up at Gato, "And those were no normal Shinobi one of them was Kakashi the Copy Ninja son to the White Fang of the Leaf and student of the Yellow Flash of the Leaf. Plus those kids he was with weren't your' average genin two of them were Chunin level at least they even burned me,"

"Pathetic Zabuza," Gato said as he came closer his hand inching towards Zabuza' throat,

"I could kill you right now if I wanted…" Gato began before a pissed of Haku reached out and grabbed his wrist nearly breaking it and his arm in her anger

"Keep your' filthy hands off of him!" Haku growled at the bastard billionaire as she squeezed his wrist even harder, "If you don't I'll kill you!"

"Ah my arm! You're breaking my arm!" Gato shouted as his wrist was being crushed, "Let me go you crazy bitch!" Haku released Gato' arm throwing him back into his two guards who easily caught their boss, "Get that bitch and her master!"

The two guards rushed forward their swords drawn but were caught off-guard as Haku was suddenly standing between the two men their swords in her hands and pressed against their jugulars one step would mean certain and near instant death.

"Leave now while I can still control myself," Haku whispered with a deadly seriousness that sent a chill throughout the room and caused Gato and his men to freeze up

"Now! Or I will kill you!" Haku growled dropping the swords and walking back to her seat beside Zabuza' bed

"Just finish the job!" Gato shouted as he ran out of the lair

"You didn't have to do that," Zabuza said while he set back down a kunai knife he had hidden under his sheet, "We still need him to hide us from the Mizukage,"

"I know but I just couldn't hold myself back, I'm sorry" Haku said looking at Zabuza apologetically as she prepared his medicine

"I'll forgive you this time," Zabuza said taking his medicine and promptly falling asleep

 **~Time Skip: With Team Seven~**

Kakashi and the Genin of Team 7 were in the forest near Tsunami' house. They were surrounded by tall but thin pine trees, lush grass, and numerous herbs and flowers. The genin were currently waiting for instructions from their sensei who was walking around with the aid of crutches.

"All right, today I am going to be working with each of you to improve your' various skills and work on increasing your' speed," Kakashi explained

"How will that prepare us enough to fight Zabuza!?" Sakura shouted at Kakashi

"You saw that as a unit Sasuke, Naruto, and Natsu all held their own against Zabuza and injured him with myself delivering the final blows. If we can increase your' reserves, control, and speed you should all be ready to fight Zabuza and his little Hunter Nin while protecting Tazuna," Kakashi explained cheerilly

"I guess that makes sense, so what are we doing about it?" asked Sasuke

"We will be tree walking and water walking with weights while I throw kunai at you all," Kakashi mused while brandishing a single kunai attached to some ninja wire

Sakura and Sasuke pailed while Natsu and Naruto looked bored

"What's with that look you two?" Kakashi asked

"We want to work with our Kenjutsu and seals while we have the training time, can we do that instead?" Naruto asked

"I suppose so since both are major assets but since you have limited resources focus on the Kenjutsu and do some sparring on the water' surface," Kakashi instructed beginning to understand just how skilled these two were and how little he would really be able to teach them

The boys looked to each other and nodded they then turned and ran to the top of two nearbye trees before backflipping down and puffing into white smoke surprising Sasuke and Sakura who were sure that the real Uzumakis were there and had instead sent clones as guards. From behind a nearby tree Inari watched the young Genin practice a look of contempt evident on his face.

"Hm I guess that those two already have some good chakra control," Kakashi muttered trying to figure out how advanced they really were

"Well they did help Sasuke-kun wound that Zabuza guy and Naruto ran around on the water' surface for a bit," Sakura said thinking back to the battle the day before and the jutsu the brothers had used, "I'm not even sure that they used everything they had,"

"I hate to admit it but I think it's more like I helped them to wound him since I just threw in a bigger fireball," Sasuke admitted showing his new humility

"You may be right they even found some new tricks just last night," Kakashi said thinking back to earlier that morning

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei?" Sasuke asked

"Yes,"

"My eyes felt a little funny when we were fighting Zabuza could you take a look?" Sasuke asked with some concern

"Yeah, that's probably for the best," Kakashi said turning serious while he walked over

Sasuke activated his Sharingan showing three tomoe in his left eye and two in his right

"Impressive, it seems you advanced a little more and your' left eye has matured you still need one tomoe in your' right though," Kakashi explained much to Sasuke and Sakura' relief

"You think you could mature it in two weeks?" Sakura asked Sasuke with a smile

"You doubt me?" Sasuke asked with a smirk

"Oh never Sasuke-kun, just curious," Sakura responded in a placating manner

"I think I can if I try," Sasuke said thinking back to the fight with Zabuza

Kakashi smiled at his students as they began their advanced tree climbing training which also included evasion from tree side to tree side and later some jutsu practice

 **~With Naruto and Natsu~**

After setting up fifty clones each, set to dispel in groups of five every twenty minutes, to practice the Kenjutsu style from their new scroll, they had gone to the bridge to guard tazuna while one clone each went with Kakashi. Not long after they got to the bridge they received Kakashi' training regiment, and were none too thrilled.

"I can't believe his big training regimen was going to be fucking tree climbing even with dodging practice!" Naruto growled as he practiced his Kenjutsu basic form

"I guess that if we were normal Genin that training would push us to the next level," Natsu said as he too practiced his Kata keeping a close watch on the 'Sensing Hexagram Seal Jutsu' which he had placed around the bridge, "Hey Tazuna-San!?"

"What Gaki?" Tazuna called turning toward Natsu while he moved a wood beam

"Do you need some extra workers I noticed your work force is a little lacking," Natsu asked after seeing that so few people were helping to build this 'Bridge of Hope'

"What can you shrimps do?" Tazuna asked looking at the young boys who were even small looking for their age

The boys just smirked and crossed their fingers before shouting, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" creating a field of twenty-two clones each, "Can we help now?"

"I guess just don't get in my way," Tazuna said impressed by the manpower he now had at his disposal

Naruto and Natsu got to work moving supplies and helping to build the bridge wherever they could. As the sun set over the bridge the boys helped Tazuna to cover the materials and pack away any major supplies.

Leaving the bridge, they then made their way through the town seeing the devastating poverty of the village and the land. Children sat in the streets starved and filthy begging every passerby for food or money. The sight of the village made the boys stomachs contort, the feeling of helplessness welling up within them remembering the hardships they had endured growing up.

One young boy walked up to Natsu and asked, "Please sir, can you spare any food or money?" the child' eyes were wide and hopeful contrasting his disheveled state

"Of course," Natsu said pulling out a bag containing several rice balls, "Here take these for you and your family,"

The boy' eyes lit up and he excitedly said, "Thank you so much mister!" as he ran over to his mother who seemed to be starving herself for his sake

"Naruto," Natsu said in a threatening growl as he looked at the young boy and his mother

"Yeah bro, I feel the same," Naruto said looking at the family, "Gato better not show his face near me,"

" **You have** **us** **convinced** ," both halves of Kurama growled in unison, " **This bastard dies when we see him next**!"

"Why's that?" Tazuna asked confused at the sudden change in the boys and the killing intent that was coming from them

"If he does he dies," Natsu said coldly without a hint of apprehension

"Why would you go so far for people you don't even know who have shown you no kindness and don't know you?" Tazuna asked so perplexed by the young Genin

"What do you mean people we don't know and who have shown us no kindness?" Natsu asked smiling up at Tazuna, "We know you and that young boy and his mother thanked us. What else do we need before we can decide to fight for them?"

"Believe It!" Naruto shouted giving Tazuna a thumbs up

Tazuna was stunned by their words and the conviction behind them, "Heh, I guess little dogs really do have the most bark!" Tazuna said with a laugh

"Hey!" Naruto whined, "I can back up my tough talk, Believe It!"

They left for Tazuna' home with a new fire burning in their eyes and determination burning brighter than ever.

 **~One week later: Tazuna' house: Dinner~**

After another long day of training and bridge building Naruto and Natsu, still the only available guards, returned to the house where they found Sasuke and Sakura completely exhausted by the training they had gone through with Kakashi. Inari glared at the Uzumaki brothers as they arrived just like with the other three ninja.

"How did it go today Dad?' Tsunami asked

"It went quite well these two are like sponges and are even their own workforce even while guarding me so effectively," Tazuna said with a smile as Tsunami placed a bottle of beer down next to Tazuna, "They are impressive students Hatake and very kind children,"

"I can't take much of the credit for that I have only trained and mentored them for the last few months," Kakashi said chuckling with his signature eye smile

"It's because I want to be Hokage someday," Naruto said as he sat down for dinner

"How does that equate to you helping me and to what you said to me?" Tazuna asked curious

"The Hokage once told us that within the people of the Hi no Kuni, more specifically Knoha lives, 'The Will of Fire' which is a person' desire to protect those precious to them thus realizing their full potential as both a shinobi and a person," Naruto said thinking back to all the lessons the Hokage had given him

"For us the Will of Fire isn't only for our comrades but for anyone we call friend or those who have shown us kindness," Natsu said smiling over his own meal

"I see," Tazuna said looking at the boys with the kind eyes of a man who has seen many years, "I owe you all my thanks then for even though I deceived you you're still here helping us,"

"Like the boys said, 'We help our comrades' and today that includes you," Kakashi said still with his signature eye smile making Sakura smile sweetly and even causing Sasuke to smirk

After dinner while Tsunami was washing the plates and everyone else was sitting around the table Sakura looked over at a picture hanging on the wall behind Tazuna, "Hey why is that corner torn out of that picture it looks like someone was there but now they're not?" Sakura asked not realizing the shift that one question caused in the room

"That was Inari' father, Kaiza," Tazuna began, "Not his real one but close enough. He was an incredible man who taught the people of this land the meaning of courage and died for his beliefs at the hands of Gato,"

"That's why you should just give up now and leave!" Inari shouted as tears welled up in his eyes, "Even my father, the strongest man in this land, was beaten and killed! What chance do you have? You don't know pain how could you living your' sheltered lives in your' cushy ninja villages!"

Suddenly the temperature of the room dropped several degrees and Tsunami, Tazuna, Inari, and even Sakura found it harder to breath. Naruto and Natsu looked down at the table, their eyes shadowed by their hair.

"We don't know pain?" Naruto asked in an icy tone

"T-that's right! H-how could you w-with the lavish lifestyle all you ninja have!" Inari stuttered out

"We know pain you, sniveling, little coward!" Natsu growled in a calm tone his anger growing

"We have been beaten every day as far back as we can remember, shunned by the entire village, hunted by mobs of people, civilian and shinobi alike, out for our blood, poisoned a thousand ways, and more," Naruto said fixing Inari with a gaze that made the whole room shiver

Inari shook with fear seeing the look in Naruto' eyes. He had such turmoil there. So much sadness and pain behind the anger and the determination.

"We have known pain and we understand your' more than you know," Natsu continued a similar look in his eyes

"You sit around crying and complaining about your' 'screwed up life' while kids sit in the streets outside these walls wearing rags with nothing to eat but the scraps of slightly better off people. You have a mother and a grandfather who work hard to provide for you and keep you safe in a warm loving house yet you have the gall to complain and piss on the memory of your' father figure," Naruto growled out Inari' face a mix of shame and sorrow

"Shit will only change if you get up, dry your' tears, and fight for what you want to protect and your' dreams. You can whine and cry all you want but no matter how much you do nothing will ever change," Naruto finished sagely

With that Naruto and Natsu stood and, with a curt, 'thanks for the meal', they left the house to train away the emotional firestorm that was their minds

Everyone was stunned by the revelations. Inari stood there frozen, his eyes riveted to the door before he turned to Kakashi who simply looked up at the ceiling as though remembering something. Something he deeply regretted.

"He had to be lying, right? I mean Naruto and Natsu are so happy and always smiling and offering help to everyone they meet!" Sakura said with tears welling up in her eyes

"I'm not so sure, Sakura, sometimes the saddest people smile the brightest if for no other reason than to make sure others aren't left to bear their own pains," Sasuke said with a surprisingly deep thought **(AN: that is a quote of unknown origin, to me)**

"Every word was true, especially the, 'and more'," Kakashi said returning from his stupor with a hallowed look in his eye

"No wonder they're so determined to end Gato' reign on our people," Tazuna said in a low voice

Inari shifted his gaze from Kakashi to his mother and grandfather and a look of shame crossed his innocent eyes. He thought back to Naruto' words and then to his own actions before he ran upstairs into his room slamming the door shut. Before long a light sniveling could be heard from the above room as everyone suddenly found the table to be incredibly interesting.

"I guess I should go and talk to him," Kakashi said heading for the stairs. No one got up to stop him or even seemed to hear him before he ascended the short flight of stairs.

Kakashi reached the room quickly, the light sniveling now more prominent as he got closer. He found the door locked and simply picked it quietly entering the young boy' room.

"Mind if I sit with you?" Kakashi asked the young boy who simply ignored the question showing no response,

"I'll take that as a yes," Kakashi said quietly leaning against the wall, "What Naruto said to you may seem harsh but don't think for a second he hasn't told himself those exact words a million times before and Natsu a million more. You see those two grew up without their parents and without any friends only having each other to rely on since they were born especially when they entered the ninja academy. They know your' pain and they understand what is wrong so for him to tell you that he is just trying to help you move past it the same way he and Natsu moved past being shunned by the village and instead now strive to protect it and everyone in it like they were family. Those two live in hell but I have never once seen them cry or sulk but rather I see them smile and laugh trying to help others forget their sorrows as best they can,"

Inari looked at Kakashi, the speech somehow resonating within him but not sinking in quite yet, "I know my father was a great man and he taught us so much but without him it's like we've all forgotten what it means to have courage," Inari said sadly snivelling, "It feels like something is missing inside me now but I don't know what or how to get it back,"

"Well, what did your' father teach you about courage?" Kakashi asked showing genuine curiosity trying to get the young boy to open up

"He told me, 'Inari, live your life so that you'll have no regrets. No matter how hard, no matter how sad, if something is precious to you, protect it with both arms,' those words have stuck with me and I think the rest of the village remembers them too but it's like the meaning behind them is gone!" Inari said still upset with himself, "Naruto is right I am a coward but I don't know how to change,"

"Well that's simple," Kakashi said gaining the young boy' attention if you don't want to be a coward anymore then, stand up for what you believe in and protect those precious to you as best you can. Know that it's okay to stumble and fall because that's all part of growing up," Kakashi said with an eye smile looking over as the boy took in the Jonin' words

"Thanks," Inari said as he and Kakashi returned to the living room where everyone still sat with a glum look on their faces

"Kakashi-sensei we should go look for them," Sakura said looking at her teacher with concern

"I agree they shouldn't be out there alone when enemies are all over," Sasuke said trying to cover his own concern

"No, they're incredible at stealth especially when they don't want to be found," Kakashi said with a melancholic look, "They'll be fine though I'm sure they're training themselves into the ground and prove that heroes really do exist,"

"I believe it," Inari said in a whisper that everyone heard

Tsunami and Tazuna were shocked by the change in their grandson from that encounter and smiled with pride knowing that the old Inari was slowly, but surely, returning.

~To Be Continued~

 **Hey guys hope you enjoyed yourselves I know this is taking me a while but you've got to admit some real shit happens in this section and I need to get it all in. I want more comments. Thanks for reading I'll get the next chapter up A.S.A.P C U Then \\(^_^)/**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys, thanks so much for any comments right now I am sorry for the long wait and for how long it is taking to get through the Wave Mission but today is the finale so, Read On!**

 **I know I make it seem like Natsu is better than Naruto but I am just keeping them even for now. I am also making Natsu more mature because in their situation an older sibling, even by a minute, would take charge and shield their younger sibling from the shit of the village.**

 **Thus, Natsu is not smarter than Naruto he is just more mature and slightly wiser. Also Naruto will still get his Kyōkan Kankaku no Jutsu(Empathetic Sensory Jutsu), I just figured I would make Natsu a more natural sensor since I was making him more like Minato in personality. So, anymore on that PM or comment.**

 **I beg of thee my readers, COMMENT! (;-;) I really want your input as this story is a s much for me as it is for all of you.**

 **Anyway, Too the Fic! \\(^_^)/**

 **Chapter 9: Secret Base: Battle for the Bridge!**

 **~Next Morning: With Naruto~**

It was early the next morning the wind blew gently through the forest as the sun hung low in the sky the morning dew glittering across the land. We find our heroes passed out from over doing it as usual having trained until well past midnight and receiving the backlash of fifty clones all at once.

Naruto and Natsu had trained against each other and their clones all night until they could no longer feel their limbs. Natsu twitched slightly and woke up but didn't move. He was alerted to a High Chunin level chakra signature that had entered his 'Sensing Hexagram Seal Jutsu' the person had a great deal of chakra and didn't show any malice but his instincts told him to 'play dead and surprise' the approaching girl.

Natsu sent an almost undetectable Raiton pulse to Naruto waking him up at which point he noticed the intruder as well gripping his Kodachi tighter. The girl, wearing a pink kimono with yellow petal accents and a dark choker, approached them and reached down to the 'sleeping' boys as her hands got closer the brothers studied her chakra with their Kitsunegan. That's when Natsu realized who she was and formed a plan. Natsu shot up katana in hand and came up behind her placing the blade to her throat before he 'woke up' and 'realized what he was doing'.

"Oh Crap!" Natsu shouted as he put away his sword and kneeled down before apologizing profusely

"It's all right," said the 'mystery' girl as she smiled down at the young Genin

"It's my fault for startling a Ninja," she giggled

Natsu showed relief at her forgiveness but inside he was smiling in a predatory way, " _Phase one: complete she thinks us incompetent, to a point_ " Natsu thought as he smiled warmly at the young girl while Naruto seemed to catch on and decided to play along

"So, what were you two doing out here? Besides sleeping," the girl asked seemingly curious

"We were training," Naruto answered simply

"Why were you too training so hard?" the girl asked looking at the state of the boys' clothes and the slashes across the ground and covering the trees

"We need to get stronger," Natsu answered nonchalantly

"You both seem extremely strong, why do you need to be any stronger?" asked the young girl

"We aren't strong enough to protect those precious to us, not yet anyway," Naruto said with a far off look in his eyes while Natsu nodded in agreement

"Then you both already know the secret to true strength," the young girl said smiling warmly

"Are you alright?" Naruto asked noticing the basket of herbs after the heartfelt words of the young girl

"Yes, why do you ask?" the young girl asked puzzled while Naruto pointed to her basket, "Oh, those aren't for me they're for a good friend of mine,"

"Oh, they must be really important to you to be out so early trying to find them these herbs," Natsu said smiling warmly, " _Kakashi-Sensei was right Zabuza really was hurt pretty bad_ ,"

"Yes, he is the most important person in my life he's like a father to me," the girl said smiling warmly remembering something, "How did you know these herbs were for injuries?"

"After a simple mission a while back I studied herbs and other helpful plants because I accidentally destroyed someone' herb garden while weeding it," Naruto said sheepishly while the girl gave him a 'dumbass' look,

"I never studied herbs in the academy so I didn't know which were which and she never pointed out what not to pick!" Naruto defended

"Anyway, after that 'mission' we studied up on herbs, herbal remedies, and edible plants so as not to repeat the mistake and for future use," Natsu said as he observed the girl

"You are wiser than you appear shinobi-san," the girl said smiling,

"Well I had better get going my friend could use these herbs," the girl said as she walked off. " _I should warn Zabuza-sama about these two, I wonder, what are the other two are capable of?_ "

Once the girl was out of earshot and sight Natsu turned to his brother and whispered, "That girl was definitely the Tracker Ninja who was with Zabuza last week,"

"Yeah which means Zabuza is still injured and can't fight at full strength," Naruto whispered, "What should we do?"

"I am sending a clone after her who will be using the 'Mujin Meisai' to avoid detection plus if she does notice him it's a Kage Bunshin so we'll know what they have and where their base is anyway," Natsu said as he crossed his fingers and created his clone who disappeared in an instant

"You sure about this?" Naruto asked his brother worried that this may end badly

"Yeah, I'm sure bro," Natsu said as he turned to his brother, "Now let's go get some breakfast and tell Kakashi-Sensei about our little meet and greet with that ninja,"

Naruto nodded and the brothers Shunshined to the house to find the rest of the team eating breakfast and discussing their training and guarding Tazuna when the brothers walked in.

 **~Tazuna' House: Dining Room~**

Everyone was eating breakfast with a somber mood hanging in the air. Everyone felt terrible for Naruto and Natsu for the lives they had lived and, in Sakura' case, their role in it. They were all contemplating the revelations of the night before and what they would do.

" _I'm gonna apologize when they get back, Cha_!" Sakura thought with a once rare flicker of determination

" _I guess the dobe really is tough if he made it through fourteen years of the civilians' shit, I couldn't even get passed one bad day_ ," Sasuke thought while keeping up his normal poker face

"Will they come back for breakfast?" Tsunami asked while plating the food for everyone else

"I'm sure they will be here any minute," Kakashi said with an eye smile

"Unless my timing rubbed off on them," Kakashi said thoughtfully causing everyone in the room to sweat drop

"I hope they get here soon," Inari said with a small smile surprising Tazuna and Tsunami

Everyone glanced to the door when a slight breeze was heard outside. The door opened revealing Naruto and Natsu both looking fresh as freakin' daisies while their clothes looked like they had been through a fierce battle but the exposed flesh showed no signs of such activity.

"What happened? You two look like you were training inside a blender!?" Sakura asked as Tsunami placed down two plates for the brothers

"We're fine we were training a little too hard and cut our clothes up a bit, we got spares upstairs though, so no worries," Naruto said as he started chowing down as though he hadn't eaten in weeks

"Yeah but that isn't all that happened," Natsu said getting everyone' attention, "We also ran into that Tracker Ninja but in her civilian clothes,"

"What are you alright?" Kakashi asked worried for his students

"Yeah, we're better than okay I sent a Shadow-Clone after her using this special invisibility jutsu I learned he still hasn't reported back but when he does we should know where their base is!" Natsu cheered as he started eating albeit more slowly than Naruto

"Plus, we also got confirmation that Zabuza is still wounded but is healing well," Naruto said as Tsunami got him some extra rice

"What evidence do you have?" Kakashi asked

"The girl was gathering medicinal herbs for cuts and stuff," Naruto said getting monotone looks from Sasuke and Sakura

"What?" Naruto asked incredulously

"You know what medicinal herbs look like?" Sakura asked

"Yes, remember that D-Rank where we weeded that old lady' garden?" Naruto asked

"That mission is why we don't believe you, Dobe," Sasuke cut in with a superior smirk

"Yes, well, after that 'mission' Naruto and I studied up for future reference," Natsu explained

"You should have done that in the academy," Sakura said snootily albeit less than before

"We did, enough to pass," Naruto said almost whispering the last part

"Regardless of how, we now know that Zabuza is recovering and quickly, now we need to plan," Kakashi said cutting off the bickering

"Thanks for the great meal, Tsunami-san," Natsu said with a smile

"You are quite welcome," Tsunami said taking the dishes from the table

"So, then I guess training is over," Sasuke asked with his arms crossed

"If what they say is true then Zabuza will attack any day now and we need to be ready so Naruto you will stay here and guard Inari and Tsunami while the rest of us will go and guard Tazuna and ensure the completion of the bridge," Kakashi instructed

"Why don't I just leave a horde of clones?" Naruto asked

"Your' clones can be destroyed fairly easily if they get hit right, you can't," Kakashi explained

"That's if a bunch of bandits and failed Samurai can hit me," Naruto said with a foxy grin

"What if Gato sends more nuke-nin," Kakashi asked

"I doubt he will, with how he seems he's too greedy to actually pay for more than Zabuza, he might hate paying for him in general," Naruto replied after a moment of contemplation

"Do you think he will double cross Zabuza?" Natsu asked

"Maybe, maybe not, we can't assume any of that so Naruto you will remain here to guard Tsunami and Inari," Kakashi said with some finality

"Why don't I guard them?" Natsu asked seeing how disappointed Naruto was at being left behind

"(Sigh) Fine but no more changes," Kakashi said in defeat after noticing the look on Naruto' face

"How is your' training with those swords going anyway?" Kakashi asked changing the subject

"Pretty well we're no Seven Swordsmen but we can hold our own against most swordsman below that," Natsu said confidently

"But if we go against Zabuza again we'll win, Believe IT!" Naruto shouted his thumb out in front of him

"Then show me," Kakashi said as he stood up and made his way toward the door

Naruto and Natsu looked to each other before smiling devilishly as they followed, the rest of the group following quickly wanting to see the results of the brother' training.

Once outside Kakashi and the brothers took their marks on the water' surface drawing their swords. Kakashi was going to use a pair of kunai knives while Naruto was using his kodachi and Natsu his katana.

They began circling each other waiting for someone else to make the first move. Asingle leaf danced along the breeze before falling to the water. The moment it hit the water' surface Natsu lunged forward with a horizontal swing from Kakashi' right side while Naruto lunged forward with a downward vertical slash to Kakashi' left.

Kakashi saw the attacks coming and instead of dodging dropped down into the water, but that clinched the fight. When Naruto saw Kakashi dive into the water he changed the direction of his strike and charged the blade with Raiton chakra and with the direction of Naruto' slash he hit the water electrifying it and forcing Kakashi to jump out of the water only to be slashed across the back by Natsu but as Natsu finished his attack Kakashi became a puff of smoke and was replaced by a log.

The brothers turned to the shore where they saw Kakashi eye smiling and they laughed as a pair of clones came up behind Kakashi and captured him by placing Naruto' kodachi against Kakashi' stomach and Natsu' katana at Kakashi' neck.

" _These kids have improved so much in just a few days and from just a single scroll_!" Kakashi thought in disbelief looking down at the clones, "I concede good work guys!"

The rest of Team 7 and Tazuna' family were stunned at the skill demonstrated by Naruto and Natsu and by the time it took them to become so skilled

" _How are they so strong_?" Sakura wondered in awe, " _Cha, they're still not as good as Sasuke-kun he's gotten way stronger!_ "

" _I should get a sword myself, maybe there's one in the vault at home_ " Sasuke thought with an audible grunt

"They might not die after all," Inari whispered after seeing the brother' progress

"That was good boys but you were sloppy and only got me because I was holding back," Kakashi scolded, "But it was still impressive none the less,"

"Thanks, Kakashi-Sensei!" the boys cheered as they sheathed their blades and walked back to the others who, all but Sasuke, praised their skill

"So, can we just leave some clones now?" Natsu asked

"Fine Natsu you can come with us to protect Tazuna," Kakashi said before looking over at Inari and Tsunami, "Don't worry you're perfectly safe here,"

Naruto then went inside the house and made several Shadow-Clones who hid themselves throughout the house. When he returned to the group Natsu suddenly received an influx of memories as his tracker clone dispelled while in Zabuza' lair.

Natsu was thus given the exact location of the lair and the schedules for Gato and his guards who also occupied the citadel. Natsu was surprised by the sheer number of goons and thugs littering the structure and promptly explained everything to Kakashi but was instructed to wait until after Zabuza' attack.

 **~Time Skip several hours later~**

Naruto and Sakura were keeping an eye on Tazuna while remaining obvious while Kakashi, Sasuke, and Natsu were keeping watch from the shadows all of them wearing radios and transmitters to coordinate their defense and attacks.

Natsu also had his 'Sensing Hexagram Seal Jutsu' active around the bridge, which was almost finished, and was hiding using his 'Mujin Meisai' to remain unseen.

As they watched Tazuna Naruto and Sakura noticed that the mist was beginning to thicken slowly but surely and was becoming laden with chakra. Naruto and Sakura took defensive positions around Tazuna slowly so as not to alert Zabuza to their discovery.

Kakashi carefully surveyed the surrounding area trying to find Zabuza when suddenly seven water clones that looked like Zabuza ran down the bridge toward Tazuna but just as suddenly as they appeared they were dispelled being cut in half at the waist by several Wind-Chakra blades that seemingly came from nowhere. Kakashi was amazed as he hadn't sensed the source until…

"Kakashi-Sensei, Zabuza and his accomplice are thirty meters from your position to your' rear right, I don't think they can see you," Natsu said into his transmitter, "I can handle his water clones but he doesn't seem to upset with their demise in fact he smirked when it happened,"

"Good work Natsu keep it up and be careful," Kakashi replied stunned by his student skill and precision, " _Does this mean they held back in that test_?"

" _How did the Big Dobe pull that off? They couldn't beat Kakashi in that little test,"_ Sasuke growled in his mind as he readied a kunai and rushed down to where Naruto and Sakura were standing by Tazuna

"Good job brats but you've only sealed your' fates," Zabuza chuckled darkly as his partner stepped forward and made a one-handed hand-sign manipulating the water on the bridge with her chakra surrounding Tazuna and his Genin guards in a wall of water which slowly began to freeze and turn into multiple but separated Ice-Mirrors which completely surrounded the group from almost all angles save for the gaps between mirrors and space between the mirrors and the ground.

"Hyoton: Makyō Hyōshō (Ninja Art: Crystal Ice Mirrors)!" the masked ninja shouted as the jutsu finished forming

"You see my Haku here has a kekkei genkai which allows her to use Hyoton (Ice Release) techniques," Zabuza laughed

Sasuke quickly made a few hand-signs and released an enormous fire ball hitting one of the mirrors seeing an opening Naruto clapped his hands together and released a huge burst of wind which fused with Sasuke; fire ball and broke the mirror at which point Naruto threw Tazuna and Sakura out before Haku could replace the shattered mirror.

"Haku teach these kids what happens when they mess with us!" Zabuza ordered annoyed that his prized weapon' jutsu was disrupted even a little

"Hai Zabuza-San!" Haku said as she dashed toward one of the mirrors and disappeared inside before appearing on the inside face of all the mirrors and readied three senbon in each hand and let loose a flurry of senbon needles.

Sasuke' Sharingan blazed to life with three tomoe in each eye, signifying that it was fully matured. He pulled a kunai and began deflecting the senbon around himself while Naruto did the same with his Kodachi.

"You should just give up now, you will ever defeat me," Haku said in a near monotone

"I guess you didn't hear me when we kicked your' precious one' ass the other day," Naruto said with fire in his eyes

"I am Naruto Uzumaki, I don't quit and I never run away! I am the future Hokage of Konohagakure! So, I won't die here not until I fulfill my dreams!" Naruto shouted further galvanizing his comrades

 **~Kakashi V.S. Zabuza**

Kakashi ran over to Sakura and Tazuna to intercept Zabuza before he could pick off the nearly defenseless target.

"You can't save him and protect your' students Kakashi," Zabuza chuckled darkly from some corner of the mist as the sounds of metal deflections rang out across the bridge,

"If you interfere in Haku' fight, I kill the bridge builder, so why don't we just sit back and watch as your' students are all killed all…four of them," Zabuza said realizing that one of the five shinobi was missing and it was the one of the ones he really wanted to kill after they burned him, "Where is the fourth one!?"

"Don't you know Zabuza?" Kakashi asked in mock surprise,

"In Konoha we only have three Genin and a Jonin per squad I don't have any others," Kakashi said with a patronizing tone

"Don't play with me you had four Genin back in the forest he looked just like the Gaki trapped in Haku' jutsu only with long blood-red hair and dark eyes," Zabuza shouted not appreciating Kakashi' tone

"Oh, I am sorry Sasuke there is an only child," Kakashi joked enraging Zabuza even more

"Not him the blonde Gaki with the whiskers!" Zabuza shouted his eyes almost red with rage

"Oh, that Genin he is right behind you," Kakashi said pointing behind Zabuza and eye smiling

Zabuza turned to check and was met with a foot in the face as Natsu came from behind him and kicked him with a chakra infused high kick finishing the move by doing a backflip and kicking Zabuza in the chin with his other foot before landing on his feet.

Natsu then drew his sword and lunged forward with it only to be grappled by Zabuza and thrown Natsu' sword clattering to the floor as he flew through the air and lost his grip.

Zabuza eyed the blade greedily and said, "That's a nice sword Gaki, too nice for a pipsqueak like you," as he reached down and picked up the sword suddenly feeling his chakra being absorbed and sucked into the blade.

He dropped the blade and backed away from it as Natsu recovered and picked it up

"How can you wield that thing? I only held it for an instant and it took most of my remaining chakra!?" Zabuza asked feeling somewhat drained

"It only does that if a non-Uzumaki tries to hold it," Natsu said with a grin on his face as he got into his basic stance

"Wait your' one of the Uzumaki?" Zabuza asked to which Natsu nodded, "And your' brother? (Nod) Shit (Nod)"

Natsu then lunged forward and stabbed into Zabuza' stomach only for him to dispel into a puddle of water,

" _Didn't expect to use this much chakra so soon. And just our luck we got two Uzumaki with swords to deal with_ ," Zabuza thought as he looked over toward Haku' battle only to see the mirrors all dispel into puddles and Naruto and Sasuke, with their backs to him in front of an unmasked Haku who had a black eye forming and several cuts on her from what Zabuza could see,

"What the hell?" was Zabuza' last thought as he was trapped by the sudden appearance of several ninja hounds

 **~Naruto and Sasuke Vs. Haku~**

Naruto had just gotten Sakura and Tazuna out of the strange Ice Mirror Jutsu when the mirror he and Sasuke had destroyed suddenly reformed trapping him and Sasuke once more.

"Damn it!" Naruto whined

"You should just give up now, you will ever defeat me," Haku said in a near monotone

"I guess you didn't hear me when we kicked your' precious one' ass the other day," Naruto said with fire in his eyes

"I am Naruto Uzumaki, I don't quit and I never run away! I am the future Hokage of Konohagakure! So, I won't die here not until I fulfill my dreams!" Naruto shouted further galvanizing his comrades

"Big words from a loud-mouthed runt. You won't escape like your' friends did you'll die here," Haku said coldly with no hint of emotion but, if they could see her face, they would see the guilt and sadness she felt at killing off the most promising Genin she had ever seen

"Yeah right! Together we could take on Zabuza himself! We trained hard this past week so you won't be any trouble" Sasuke bellowed with confidence, his Sharingan blazing with three tomoe each

"Yeah, Believe It!" Naruto shouted drawing his Kodachi before creating five shadow clones one of which began weaving hand-signs before shouting, 'Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!' while another shouted 'Fūton: Reppūshō!' the two jutsu merged and shattered several mirrors one of which had the real Haku who dodged at the last instant but was caught by Sasuke who, in the heat of the fight, used his, 'Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu' burning her leg. The ice mirrors Naruto broke reformed slowly

"I guess she is running low on chakra most people probably can't defend from her senbon from all these angles," Naruto thought as next to him Sasuke gasped in pain Naruto looked over to see that Sasuke had been surprised with several senbon from behind, "Are you okay Sasuke?"

"Of course, (pant) Dobe," Sasuke said with a prideful grin on his face, his eyes spinning slowly

Sasuke caught his breath and asked, "Can you distract her like that again?"

"A million times more!" Naruto said with a grin as his clones readied their combo again only to all be destroyed by precision senbon strikes to the heart,

"Damn! I can't destroy her mirrors but I'll block 'em!" Naruto said as he weaved a set of hand-signs and shot several small fire balls at various mirrors leaving only a few uncovered to limit Haku' movements,

"Now Sasuke!" Naruto shouted as Haku leapt from one mirror only to be kit by a fire ball from Sasuke

Haku was knocked from her path by Sasuke' fireball and fell toward the ground where Naruto and three newly formed clones were waiting. He and his clones kicked Haku back up toward the roof of the mirror prison face up and then Naruto himself jumped up and delivered a powerful axe kick to Haku' face cracking her mask as she fell to the ground nearly unconscious.

"I guess I do need those herbs now," Haku quipped as she got up onto one knee her chakra faltering and jutsu failing, "I am nothing more than a broken tool useless to my father, Naruto-san?"

"Yes?" Naruto asked wondering what Haku could want

"Please kill me," Haku said looking up to see Naruto' face contort with disbelief and shock, "I am a broken tool I have no use so please, Kill Me."

Naruto couldn't believe the words he was hearing, "Kill you? Because you lost once?" Naruto asked in a caring but frustrated tone, "You know broken tools, like people, can be mended and made better than before,"

Haku looked up not understanding what Naruto was saying to her or why he cared, "But I lost at my peak I can't help Zabuza now not like this," She declared with tears slowly forming in her eyes

"Then find a higher peak," Naruto said kindly as he helped Haku to her feet, "Just because you lost doesn't mean you can't get up it means you have to get back up and try harder, train more, and fight like your' precious one' life is on the line!"

"Naruto," Haku said awed and touched by his words and caring only for her eyes to widen and blood to leak from the corner of her mouth

 **~Everyone' View~**

Zabuza looked on at his defeated partner the young girl he had come to see as a daughter as she spoke to the blonde Uzumaki, a hollow look in her eyes, until the Uzumaki spoke and the light returned to her deep brown eyes

"I can't believe Haku lost against a couple of brats," Zabuza mumbled in disbelief as he looked at his apprentice turned surrogate daughter and tears began threatening to show themselves

"Those, 'Brats,' as you say are the last loyal Uchiha and one of the last Uzumaki in the world," Kakashi said with pride

"No wonder they beat Haku, the Sharingan alongside the Kemjutsu of an Uzumaki, that's a frightening thought even from a couple of Gakis," Zabuza said wide eyed

Naruto and Sasuke brought a tied Haku over to the pair of Jonin. Haku looked up at Zabuza still disappointed in herself for losing against the two Genin

"I'm sorry for failing you, Zabuza-Sama," Haku said with a light bow

"Don't worry about it the odds were stacked against us if those three Gakis could injure me," Zabuza said stoically

"But I am a broken weapon I am useless to you and your' goals now!" Haku said incredulously

"That is true, today, you are a broken weapon" Zabuza said causing a slight frown to cross Haku' face, "However, tomorrow is another story. Weapons, especially Shinobi, can usually be reforged if one uses the right flame,"

"Thank you, Father!" Haku beamed before she covered her mouth with a gasp, "I'm sorry Zabuza-Sama,"

"It's fine, I don't mind it," Zabuza said sheepishly before turning to Kakashi, "Can you call off your' hounds I have no reason real reason to fight you anymore,"

"You got that right," Natsu said while pointing across the bridge and into the thick mist

"Ha Look at the supposed 'Demon of the Bloody Mist' beaten by a bunch of kids! Hahahaha" barked a voice from across the bridge

Zabuza looked up and across the bridge clearing his Kirigakure no Jutsu bringing the small army of thugs and Gato, their shrimp of a leader, into full view as Gato continued

"I was never gonna pay you instead I already had plans to take your' and that bitch' heads and collect the immense bounties instead and use that to pay these fine gents," Gato laughed being chorused by the cheers and laughs of his thugs

From behind their comrades Natsu and Naruto stood fuming overly pissed at that shrimp Gato and his men. He was the reason this country was hell for it' people and now they were going to destroy the disease that stood before them.

Both removed their contacts wanting Gato and his men to see the cold fury that burned in their Kitsunegan eyes. They wanted Gato to see the righteous fury that had burned within them since they saw the state of the village.

Natsu turned towards Zabuza and Haku sensing the killer intent emanating from them as well.

"Gato, I am going to kill you!" Zabuza roared brandishing his Kubikiribōchō

Zabuza rushed forward, his eyes filled with rage, only to be stopped by the young Uzumaki brothers

"I don't have time for this, brats!" Zabuza growled leaking some KI at them

"Neither do we but we can get more out of him if he lives," Natsu said calmly

"But you can feel free to work through the cannon fodder with us if you want," Naruto added with a foxy grin

"I guess that is true, let's go then," Zabuza said with a grin hidden behind his mask

"Ha I doubt they can even stand after fighting each other!" One of the goons cheered, "Like Gato said those two are worth enough to pay us all and then some let's take 'em!"

But they never got the chance. Before any of the thugs in Gato' army could move a young boy with golden eyes and blood red hair appeared between them and Zabuza holding a red katana. Between them and Haku a boy with yellow hair and red raging eyes appeared holding a kodachi in a reverse grip.

The men became petrified by the boys. Not because of the swords or the way they stood but rather their eyes. In the eyes of these two boys shown untold pain, suffering, and a boundless rage all of which was directed at the men before them.

Naruto used the Shunshin no Jutsu to appear before Gato himself in a burst of chakra enhance speed before grabbing him and returning to his comrades with the midget billionaire dry heaving before he was knocked out and tied up.

"Run," was all Natsu said as he turned back to the small army of thugs, that one word conveying every terrible thing he wanted to do to these men but didn't. The men looked at each other and began running for their lives getting to the boats docked to the bridge.

Naruto looked over the edge and shouted down to the thugs, "And if you ever come back you won't live long enough to terrorize these people!"

As the last boat left down the river and out of the Nami no Kuni a large explosion was heard as the ships blew up in rapid succession. The burning wrecks slowly sunk down into the water their crew all but ash within them. Everyone turned to Naruto and Natsu as they sheathed their blades and released their Dojutsu.

"What the hell was that! Weren't we gonna kick their asses together?" Zabuza asked in both irritation and slight fear

"We sent a few clones down when Natsu sensed them and left some explosive tags in the munitions storage," Naruto explained as though it wasn't dark or twisted like he hadn't just killed two boats filled to the brim with people, "If we hadn't they would either come back and destroy this place before it could recover or gone off and destroyed another,"

"I understand you did the right thing your' method was just a little unexpected," Kakashi said as he placed a hand on the boys back

"So, Zabuza-san, Haku-chan, would you two like to come back and join the leaf?" Naruto asked with a bright smile

Everyone looked at Naruto like he had grown a second head, "What why are you looking at me like that for?"

"You can't just offer nuke-nin sanctuary in the village, Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed throwing a punch, which Naruto narrowly dodged

"But they would add so much to the village with Zabuza' Kenjutsu prowess and Suiton knowledge along with Haku-chan' Hyoton Kekkei Genkai Jiji would be crazy not to let them in!" Naruto explained adimately

"What does your' Jiji have to do with us getting in

"Dobe means, Hokage-Sama, for some reason he calls lord Hokage Jiji," Sasuke explained with a bored look

Zabuza and Haku looked at the blond Uzumaki in astonishment, "Maybe this will work out besides this way Haku and I can stop running around and get some serious training done," Zabuza said with a chilling laugh

"Well with that logic you should get in with Haku as a chunin or high Genin and you as a Jonin under probation," Kakashi mused aloud

Just then the entire village seemed to show up everyone wearing pots and pans for armor holding clubs and pitchforks for weapon, except Inari who held a crossbow.

"Did we miss the fight?" Inari asked as he and the villagers ran up to the group of Ninja

"Yeah but it looks like you did something better," Tazuna said smiling warmly at his friends and family who had risked their lives to come here, "What made you all change your' minds?"

"Inari, like his father before him he reignited our courage and made us face our own cowardice," Tazuna' best friend spoke patting Inari on the head

"Yeah, plus after Naruto' clones saved me and my mom from Gato' thugs I just couldn't sit back and watch anymore!" Inari cheered as he hugged Naruto' leg, "Thank you!"

"Thank you all," Tazuna said happily, "Especially you Kakashi, Team 7"

"Of course, but we are still here until you finish your' bridge," Kakashi said looking at the damage done and seeing Tazuna' reaction, "Sorry about the damage,"

"It's okay," Chimed Inari, "We can always fix it!"

"We can help with that," Naruto said as he created fifty clones and Natsu created another fifty who all began clearing and sorting the debris while others began repairs to the damaged sections.

"Hmm guess we'll be done within the week now!" Tazuna cheered as the villagers also began helping

Everyone looked to the young boys and laughed heartily suddenly being filled with a sense of optimism and hope for the future.

"What happened to you two anyway?" Tazuna asked his grandson who began to explain the epic story of Naruto defeating the two goons while he wasn't even around. While Inari explained Natsu walked over to Kakashi

"Kakashi-Sensei?' Natsu asked while watching the people of Nami no Kuni work

"Yes Natsu?" Kakashi answered looking down at and observing the genin

"Can we go check out Gato' hideout seeing as most of what's there is probably the riches of this land? _What's left of them_ ," Natsu asked while his and Naruto' clones continued working

"Fine by me we just won't be keeping too much of it," Kakashi said patting Natsu on the head

"We only keeping ninja related items like jutsu scrolls or weapons and the remaining fees for an A-Rank mission otherwise it goes to the village," Natsu said his eyes stern and focused

"How many guards are still there?" Kakashi asked nonchalantly

"None," Natsu said coldly remembering his boat bombs, "All sixty men were on those two boats and all of them died in the explosion,"

"So, do we really need the shrimp?" Kakashi asked sourly

"My clones are interrogating him under the bridge. I don't know much but having an empathy sensing ability does do wonders for interrogation," Natsu explained with a cheeky grin

"I guess so," Kakashi said with some surprise at the boy, " _When did he remove Gato_?"

"Good, Sasuke, Sakura, Naruto come on we're doing some exploration!" Kakashi called

 **~Gato' Hideout~**

Gato' hideout was a modest building but imposing in size. It was a large concrete and wood structure built into the forest itself. The exterior was a dark grey concrete with wood beam frames and glass windows. Everyone was pretty underwhelmed by the structure for various reasons

"I expected it to be more lavish," Sakura said while she tilted her head for a different view of the building

"It just means there is more money left in the vault," Kakashi said in a bored tone while everyone walked in

" _Kurama did we do the right thing_?" Natsu asked in thought

" **I can't say kit** ," the fox spirit began, " **They were bad people blinded by their greed for money and power and probably would have done this again, so I guess you did but your' reaction says a lot as well,** "

" _What do you mean_?" Natsu asked as he entered the structure searching for any hidden stashes or Gato' main safe

" **I mean the guilt you feel means you're still human but if you really feel bad then there is a simple trick,"** Kurama-Yin said teasing his young host

" _I can see how you are the evil one_ ," Natsu thought in an exasperated tone, " _How do I alleviate this_?"

" **Simple just know that you took some lives to save many more** ," Kurama-Yin said smiling at the boy, " _ **He and his brother are such kind souls even after enduring hell**_ ,"

" _Thanks, Kurama-Yin_ ," Natsu thought with a small smile

"Your' tell you that we did good?" Naruto asked

"Yeah, he said 'we took a few lives to save many more' so in the end we did good and the guilt we feel for taking lives means we're still human," Natsu explained

" **He's right, Kit** ," Kurama-Yang voiced, " **Those thugs were bad news what you did wasn't a bad thing in the end but you still held your' humanity** ,"

"That does make me feel better, Thanks you guys," Naruto said with a brighter smile

Team 7 continued inward and found a large room with ornate light fixtures and wall trimmings that were guilded with gold. The walls were white with the last half-meter being brown against a deep red carpet,

"Probably stained with innocent blood," Naruto muttered as he saw a pair of bookcases in the back of the room behind Gato' large oak desk the sheer size making the brothers giggle at the thought of the shrimpy man sitting behind the large ornate desk.

Upon closer inspection Kakashi found that there were strange grooves in the carpet and scuff marks on the wall. He grabbed the bookcases and pulled them to the right toward the rooms center and away from the wall. When they looked at the space they found a large combination safe made of thick plated steel.

"Hey Kakashi-sensei, can you teach us how to crack safes and pick more complex locks?" Naruto asked

"I guess I can when we get back it won't be needed for most missions but it does come in handy" Kakashi mused as he stood in front of the safe and began listening for the click of the pins as the gears moved and before a final click resonated throughout the room,

"There you go now remember after our small fee the rest is for the village!" Kakashi reminded his students, "The Jutsu scrolls and other Shinobi related gear come with us. Sasuke, Sakura see if there are any you want first since Natsu and Naruto already got their new blades,"

Everyone was stunned by the treasure trove that Gato called a safe. Inside were a few bookshelves containing various jutsu scrolls from the five great nations, across from that were shelves of Ryo, precious metals, and gemstones. There were even ingots of chakra metal, which each of Team 7 split evenly for roughly five large ingots a piece. In the back were various pieces of armor and weapons.

Sasuke and Sakura entered the section containing various weapons and armor. Sasuke quickly went over to the different types of swords and found one that caught his eye. A Chinese-Style katana with a circular handle and horizontal guard made from chakra conducting metal and was promptly renamed the Ryu no Kiba(Dragon' Fang) and found a pair of metal arm bracers made of several horizontal plates(Sandaime' arm guard up to elbow on both arms)

Sakura found a set of red gauntlets and shin guards which had enhancement seals etched into the metal to make them stronger and more durable while gravity seals were balanced in to make the armor lighter. She then searched the weapons but couldn't find any that suited her style of fighting and instead reasoned to have a custom weapon made with her ingots.

Natsu and Naruto went to the various books and scrolls and began sealing anything Shinobi related away for later.

" _Probably scammed off missing nin or stolen after (grimace and shiver) Zabuza incidents,_ " Natsu thought as he looked around

"Okay time to seal this stuff up!" Natsu said before he and Naruto made a group of Kage Bunshin, which began making his storage scrolls, on them he then went in and began sealing the scrolls by type and then sub-sealing by Nature. They then did the same with the various weapons and armor after Sakura and Sauke had finished their search.

Kakashi was put in charge of the money and found that the safe held deeds to the ports of Nami no Kuni and roughly five billion Ryo in bills alone, He took Five-Million ryo as the villages fee for the added risks and such and placed that in one scroll, given to him by Naruto' clones and placed the rest in another which he marked, 'For Nami no Kuni'. After they were all finished with the safe and checked the rest of the compound for hidden goodies they left heading back to the village.

 **~Time Skip: 1 Week: Bridge Completion Ceremony~**

"I'm sorry to see you guys go," Tazuna said sadly but smiled saying, "We owe you all so much, Thank you!"

"It was no trouble," Kakashi said with an eye smile his team nodding and smiling behind him,

"Oh, almost forgot" Naruto blurted pulling a scroll from his jacket, "This is for you guys after the battle I recovered all of the deeds and contract regarding your' village and most of Gato' money from his safe and sealed it in this scroll,"

Tazuna was left speechless. Finally, his people were truly free from that monster, "We can never repay you!"

"Already have," Natsu said with a cheeky grin, "The rest of the money, roughly five million, is going to us and our village, that is only a fraction of what was in that safe,"

Tazuna' jaw nearly hit the floor, "Five-Million? Just a fraction?"

Naruto nodded smiling at the old man

"This Gaki really knows how to sway people," Zabuza grunted

"Hush, Otou-san, you're spoiling the mood," Haku said sweetly elbowing Zabuza in the ribs

" _Damn, must be that time of the month again_ ," Zabuza thought while he rubbed his lightly bruised ribs

"Thank you all!" Tazuna cheered

"You know it's okay to cry Inari just sometimes," Naruto said barely holding back his own tears at having to leave the young boy

"Just promise me you'll visit someday!" Inari said as his tears began to fall

"Believe It!" Naruto shouted as he turned his back to the boy finally letting his own tears fall

" _Boys_ , _Cha_!" Sakura grumbled

"Goodbye!" Team 7, accompanied by Zabuza and Haku, waved to the people of Nami as they walked down the now finished bridge

"You know a bridge needs a name," Tsunami said as her and Tazuna' best friend came up behind him

"Why don't we name it after someone who gave us so much Hope," Tazuna said as he watched the group leave the bridge dashing away through the trees, "How about, 'The Great Naruto Bridge!"

"Sounds great Dad/ Tazuna/ Gramps!" the three replied

"Then it's settled, The Great Naruto Bridge will stand as a symbol of hope here from this day on!" Tazuna said smiling at the backs of the Shinobi as they walked off

~END~

 **Thanks for reading guys! I really enjoyed writing this chapter hope I made the fight exciting enough! I will be starting the Chunin Exam Arc either next chapter or the one after I may do a single filler. Remember Comment likes and dislikes I don't bite, much!**

 **See yah next time! (^_^)/**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey I'm back, back, back, again!**

 **I also want to explain a bit about the Dojutsu: Kitsunegan. This Dojutsu allows the wielder to use any non-elemental jutsu they witness or read about and any elemental jutsu that they have a natural affinity for.**

 **So just by looking at it Natsu and Naruto could both use the summoning jutsu and bring out low tier summons but because of their age they need Kurama to bring up Gamabunta or whatever Natsu will summon.**

 **But Natsu couldn't use a fire jutsu with it nor Naruto a water one because those aren't their affinities. I see all non-elemental jutsu as yin/yang release but not six paths jutsu release. It also allows for Taijutsu, Genjutsu, Fuuinjutsu, Kenjutsu mastery based on viewing the technique or the scroll.**

 **They do however need to practice using the Jutsu to master it but they can use it to a better degree than a normal person trying for the first time.**

 **Hope that clears up any possible questions because I want to be sure that everyone understands the capabilities of the Dojutsu which is mostly based on the Sharingan but with a limitations.**

 **Today we enter the Chunin Exams! Hope you all enjoy, Believe It! (^_^)/**

 **Chapter 10: Nerves of 'Steel': The Chunin Exams Begin!**

The sun shined brightly down on the forests of Hi no Kuni, surrounding the Konohagakure. Walking through them was Team 7 and guests returning home from their escort mission in Nami no Kuni. Each of them felt they were stronger after all of the training and the battles during the mission. Natsu was speaking with Zabuza in regards to his Kenjutsu style and major flaws Zabuza saw during their brief encounter.

Naruto was reading the Exploding Tag Seal he got from the Uzumaki cave and comparing it to a tag Kakashi had loaned him trying to see what the difference was and how he could adjust the basic one to be even better than the mass-produced ones used by the village. He was finding that the Uzumaki Exploding Tag was already more powerful but required more activation chakra than the weaker mass-produced variant. So instead he was busy trying to make the Uzumaki one more efficient for mass production.

Sasuke was admiring his sword, a Chinese-Style katana with a circular handle and horizontal guard, made from chakra conducting metal and was renamed the Dragon' Talon. Natsu and Naruto had even sculted the Uchiha clan crest, much to Kurama' Ire, on the face of the hilt.

Sakura was busy thinking of her ideal weapon to be forged when they returned while admiring her new red leather gauntlets with white trim and identical shin guards which were reinforced with Earth chakra seals. Which were copied onto the arm guards that Sasuke retrieved so as to make their armor much more durable.

"So, what's the Hokage like?" Haku asked with a hint of uncertainty

"He's strong, and treats every member of the village like family," Naruto said with an infectious grin making everyone around him smile

"What about the village, do you think they'll take kindly to us?" Haku asked while glancing toward Zabuza

"Yeah, with your' bloodline and Zabuza' skills and reputation I'm sure Jiji will let you guys into the village," Natsu said with his hands behind his head

Haku and Zabuza shared a quizzical look before turning to Kakashi who sighed, "Hokage-sama lets these two boys call him 'Jiji' for some reason that he won't share with anyone,"

Zabuza and Haku' eyes bulged for a second before they robotically turned their necks to stare in awe at the two Genin.

"I told you he would let you in, he trusts my judgement when it comes to people," Naruto said with a foxy grin

"And don't worry, unlike that idiot in Kiri the Hokage and Konoha are insane when it comes to Kekkei Genkai," Natsu added much to the relief of Haku and Zabuza

Team 7, and their guests, were nearly back to the village when they came to a fork in the forest path. From the opposite path, behind the tree line, came Team 8 and their Jonin sensei Kurenai Yuhi. Naruto instantly running up and hugging Hinata before he realized that everyone was now watching him intently waiting for the Hyuuga heiress to feint or to scream but to their surprise she hugged him back even harder.

"I've missed you so much Hinata-Chan!" Naruto said in his usual happy voice with a loving look in his eye and a heartwarming smile on his face

"I missed you as well, Naruto-Kun," Hinata said with a wide smile and love deep in her pale eyes

"What the fuck is going on here!?" Kiba shouted, "Hinata was gonna be my mate!"

"Ruff!" Akamaru yipped agreeing with his master

"Is that so, Dog Breath?" Naruto said with a low voice and a grin while releasing low-level killing intent(KI)

Kiba and Akamaru both backed up Akamaru pissing himself while Kiba tried to hide in his hoodie

"Naruto-Kun stop that you know you don't have to worry about Kiba or any other guy," Hinata said her pale lavender eyes staring deeply into Naruto' cerulean ones

"I am your' and only your'," she whispered

"And I am your' and your' alone forever," Naruto whispered as he pulled Hinata back into a deep hug

"Ok you three let's break this up before one of you does something you'll regret," Kurenai said in an authoritative tone while clapping her hands

Kurenai Yuhi, a beautiful woman in her early twenties with long black air that reached her mid back in a wave of curls, red piercing eyes, and ruby red lips. She wore a dress that looked to be made of large white wrappings with a black line down the center of the individual bands over a red dress with only the right sleeve visible down to her wrist, and a pair of black shorts. She approached the three Genin and then saw Kakashi who had been hidden behind the trees along with the rest of his Genin.

"I think Kiba has already done something he regrets," Natsu said as he walked up and noticed the piss pool beneath Akamaru and a faint wet spot in Kiba' pants

"Be that as it may I don't want a fight between comrades over a girl right now," Kurenai said looking over the Genin of her superior' team,

"Looks like you guys got some new gear you'll have to fill me in on the details later Kakashi," Kurenai said neutrally

"Yeah, why don't I meet up with you and Asuma on your' date later," Kakashi said with an eyes smile causing Kurenai to turn a shade of Hinata red

"How?" Kurenai whispered trying to figure out where she had screwed up

"Oh, I've known since you first started crushing on each other," Kakashi said as he pulled out his favorite book, "These do have some hidden uses, wouldn't you say?"

Kurenai threw a kunai which Kakashi narrowly dodged, "Watch it you don't want to set a bad example for the kids," Kakashi teased with an eye smile

Kurenai began chasing Kakashi in circles throwing kunai at him trying to either kill him or hit his little orange book

"Does she always do this?" Zabuza muttered to the Genin

"Only with perverts or those who find out about her 'secret' relationship," Hinata said with a smirk while holding Naruto' arm

"Yeah, never get caught by her near the hot springs with an orange book, she'll throw you into a Genjutsu where you are forced to watch Gai-sensei do his exercises, in a loin clothe," Kiba shuddered

"How do you know?" Naruto asked with a sly grin

"I don't want to talk about it," Kiba huffed with a blush while Akamaru whimpered

 **~After Kurenai calmed down~**

"Anyway, I am Kurenai-Sensei and I am the jonin sensei of Team 8," Kurenai said introducing herself to the Genin of Team 7

"Hello Kurenai-Sensei," the Genin replied with various levels of enthusiasm, Sasuke' being nearly non-existent

"This is Zabuza and Haku Momochi," Natsu introduced with a grin

"Wait, Zabuza M-Momochi," Kurenai stuttered with wide eyes, "As in The Demon of the Bloody Mist!"

"Yes, though I hope to be the Demon of the Hidden Leaf from now on," Zabuza said in his usual gravelly tone

"Wait, you're defecting from Kiri to Konoha?" Kurenai asked in surprise

"Yes, I can't exactly go back after trying to kill that genocidal maniac, now can I?" Zabuza replied with a raised eyebrow and a chiding tone

Kurenai was blushing deep scarlet at being scolded like a child who had missed the obvious, "There is no way that Hokage-sama will allow you to become part of his forces!"

"Jiji will let 'em in yuh Prude," Naruto barked annoyed by Kurenai' reaction to his new friends

"I highly doubt your' grandfather can convince Hokage-sama to let in Zabuza Momochi and his apprentice," Kurenai said with a smug tone

"He means, Hokage-sama, when he says, 'Jiji" Kakashi said in a deadpan at his colleague' antics

"Huh?" Was Kurenai' intelligent response, "He's that close to Hokage-sama?"

"Yup, plus Zabuza' coup was retaliation for the bloodline purges still active in Kiri had he succeeded he would be remembered as a hero to the people of Kiri and likely become Mizukage," Natsu said with squinted eyes causing the others to stare at him incredulously

"What? If you can kill a Kage especially one with Yagura' 'advantage' you deserve to take the hat plus at that point those with bloodlines also outnumbered the normal shinobi. You would have been a hero to them at least and gained the fear or respect of the average forces by killing their leader," Natsu said with his hands flailing above his head

"I knew that but I never expected a child to deduce it so casually," Zabuza mumbled receiving a round of nods from those around

"So, did you guys just get back from a C-Rank too," Sakura asked traying to change the subject

"Why yes, we did Sakura-San," Shino said in his monotone voice surprising the young girl who had yet to notice him

"Oh, hello Shino-san," Sakura said with a nervous wave and laugh, "So, what was your' mission?"

"Just a stupid delivery mission," Kiba said slightly annoyed at the lack of action in his latest mission, "But I am sure as shit our' was more exciting than your'!" "Arph!"

"Really cause we had to fight against four missing ninja and over sixty bandits!" Natsu said with a wide grin

"No way! You Dobes came back from something like that!" Kiba shouted, "Rarph!"

"Believe It!" Naruto shouted with a thumb pointed into his chest, "We even took down a corrupt billionaire mobster and got some kickass gear out of it all!"

"And they earned the respect and loyalty of myself and my Father," Haku chimed in for the first time gaining Kiba' lecherous attention

"Hey there, where did you come from?" Kiba asked trying to sound cool

"I am Haku Momochi the adoptive daughter of Zabuza Momochi the man about to brandish a giant meat clever at your' testicles," Haku said with a nonchalant smile causing Kiba to pale and slowly turn his head to the pale man who was gripping the handle of his sword tightly in rage

"Unless you gain my favor you keep your' hands off my daughter," Zabuza growled while trying to calm his leaking KI

"Yes, sir!" Kiba shouted trying his damnedest to keep his bladder from emptying

"Awwe, you do care!" Haku chirped adorably while giving Zabuza a small hug making it even harder for Kiba to keep himself in control

"You really have to tell me about this mission after we get back to the village," Kurenai said her eyes wide with surprise and her mind a buzz with questions

 **~Time Skip: Hokage Tower~**

"That is certainly a troubling story Kakashi," Hiruzen began with a chill to his voice, "First off you should have returned once you learned of the new parameters or at least sent a request for backup. Secondly you should not have allowed your team to face an opponent like Zabuza Momochi under any circumstance. And lastly…"

"I think that's enough Jiji," Natsu interrupted, "We all understand that we were incredibly lucky, like Devil' Luck kinda lucky, but we still lived and are all stronger for the experience mentally, physically, and spiritually,"

"That is beside the point and another thing how dare you interrupt me in the middle of a lecture!?" the Hokage yelled still pissed at Kakashi for almost costing the village the lives of, not only Sasuke, but his honorary grandsons as well

"He dares because if Kakashi-Sensei had made us leave after we found out what was going on in Nami no Kuni we couldn't have lived with ourselves knowing we left an entire country to die," Naruto said angrily

Hiruzen' eyes widened at Naruto' words and then fell to the ground guiltily at his own blindness to the obvious truth within them. Hiruzen suddenly understood, for the briefest of moments, how the village could see passed the two boys before him and instead witness the fox demon.

"I apologize," he said calming himself, "You did the right thing and received the adequate compensation for the actual extent of the mission. I just got upset because we were deceived and I sent you all into a mission that nearly killed you. If anything…"

"If anything, we should be thanking you," Sakura spoke surprising everyone

"What?" the Hokage asked utterly surprised by the young Kunoichi

"If we hadn't gone on that mission we never would have become as strong as we are now and we definitely would not have gotten this new gear!" Sakura said smiling while modeling her new armor for everyone especially Sasuke

"She's right," Sasuke grunted with the classic Uchiha smirk showing off the sword held on his back

"Yes, I suppose so," the Hokage said smiling at the group, "Thank you, and please, pardon this old man and his temper I get a little cranky with all this paper work,"

"Why doesn't your assistant help you by organizing it by urgency or going through the endless D-Rank reports for you?" Naruto asked stunning the Hokage

"I mean you could always go with shadow clones to get through but I don't think you have that in you, Old Man," Natsu said with a cocky smirk and false arrogance in his voice

"I forgot I could do that," the Hokage admitted sheepishly,

"Hey! I'm not that old you damn brats!" Hiruzen scolded with a grin on his face

"Well, in any case, Natsu and I might be good enough at Fuinjutsu soon to create large chakra storage seals for you Jiji so you can use your' jutsu without worrying about running empty!" Naruto cheered with a foxy grin

"That would be marvelous! Thank you boys," Hiruzen said with a grandfatherly smile

"Trust me, they aren't kidding," Kakashi said with a serious eye to which Hiruzen nodded

"Well that's our report can we leave?" Kakashi asked in a bored tone

"Yes, Sasuke and Sakura you both may leave I still need to speak with you three and your' guests though," the Hokage said pointing at the remaining individuals

"Yes sir, Hokage-Sama," Sakura and Sasuke said with a nod before exiting

"Now, what happened to the other items from the safe?" the Hokage asked as he leaned forward and rested his chin on his interlocked hands

"Everything is sealed within several scrolls," Kakashi said while Natsu and Naruto pulled out several storage scrolls from their bags and laid them out before the Hokage

"From the left we have: the five-million Ryo from Gato' safe, of five-billion; the weapons, mostly generic some are made from chakra metals or highly specialized; the armor, again specially made or generic with only a few highlights _left;_ and some jutsu scrolls for all five elements," Naruto said in an upbeat tone

"We have reason to believe that this stuff was all taken from missing ninja or other skilled fighters hired by Gato and then killed when he decided not to pay them and instead collected their bounties and their treasures," Natsu said his voice filled with controlled rage as he thought back to the bridge and Gato' last words

"That bastard was a real piece of work," Zabuza said with a clenched fist

"I see well you boys did well on your' first C-Rank and due to the circumstances, you are all being paid for an A-Rank mission!" the Hokage said smiling at the boys who began to dance around the office excitedly

"Now Zabuza-san do you truly wish to enter the ranks of Konoha?" the Sandaime asked with complete authority

"Yes, Hokage-sama, my daughter and I wish to join your' ranks and finally stop running," Zabuza said with a deep and sincere bow

"Perfect," Hiruzen said with a smile while he tossed them a pair of forehead protectors which the quickly switched for their old ones

"Now, Haku-chan, we will be placing you with a fresh Genin squad which lost a member," the Hokage said stoically

"Which team was it?" Naruto asked worriedly

"Team 5," Hiruzen said sadly

"What? Are Akiro and Koneko alright?" Naruto blurted

"Yes, their teammate didn't die or anything she turned out to be a fan girl not a kunoichi so she failed Hana Inuzuka' test and the others who passed have been training as a three man squad in the reserves until I could find a replacement for their teammate," Hiruzen explained while trying to calm down the boys

"I take it you know them," Zabuza commented dryly

"Yeah, they aren't well liked because their clan, the Okami clan, defected from Suna during the second war and came to Konoha. Because they defected people didn't trust them because of the wars but they say it's getting better," Natsu explained with a sheepish grin

"I see, well then, I should get along swimmingly with my new teammates," Haku said while clasping her hands together and tilting her head sweetly

"Yes, in addition, Hana Inuzuka is a medic who can teach you some general medical ninjustsu; however, she specializes in veterinary arts so you may want to take shifts at the hospital after you're promoted to chunin," Hiruzen explained with a smile

"Thank you, Hokage-sama!" Haku cheered with an appreciative bow

"How did you know?" Zabuza asked in stunned surprise

"I trained the world' greatest medic I can sense when someone has potential for medical ninjutsu," Hiruzen said with a chuckle

"Hey, Jiji?" Natsu asked innocently

"Yes Natsu, what's wrong?" Hiruzen replied, curious

"I was wondering if Team 10 had the day off?" Natsu asked with a light blush

"Yes, I believe they do, why do you ask?" the Hokage asked with a teasing smile

"Oh, no reason just curious," Natsu blurted waving his hands excitedly around his face failing miserably to hide his blush or fool the others in the room,

"Well if you'll excuse me I need to go get some flowers!" Natsu said as he rushed out of the room and downstairs to collect his money

Naruto, Haku, and the Hokage all had knowing smiles while Kakashi and Zabuza were left oblivious having missed the moment between Ino and Natsu on the tower steps almost a month ago,

"Well, I gotta go find Hinata-chan, see you guys later Haku-san, Zabuza-san!" Naruto called as he too left the office

 **~Streets of Konoha~**

Natsu was rushing through the streets and across rooftops making his way from the Hokage' Tower to the Yamanaka Flower shop where he hoped to score a date with the girl of his dreams. Upon his arrival Natsu quickly checked his hair in a nearby shop window and smelled himself to make sure he didn't reek after the mission.

Natsu peeked inside the store to see none other than Ino Yamanaka behind the counter reading a fashion magazine, wearing her usual clothes with the addition of a yellow apron with the store' name across the chest. He watched as Ino completed a transaction with a customer without looking up from her magazine and suddenly had a brilliantly romantic idea come to mind. Using a chakra trick, he and Naruto had learned for prank phone calls in their early days, Natsu applied chakra to his vocal cords disguising his voice so Ino wouldn't recognize him until she looked up. Natsu walked into the store with a foxy grin and stepped up to the counter.

"Good afternoon welcome to Yamanaka Flowers, how may I help you?" Ino said in a bored tone not looking up from her magazine

"Yes, um, I need some flowers for someone," Natsu began, "You see there is this girl I sort of like,"

At that Ino' ears perked up but she acted like she was still uninterested hoping to have some juicy gossip for later

"You see, she has this long platinum blond hair and these bright teal eyes that you could just lose yourself in forever. Her voice is like the sweetest music and her smile lights up the room. Her laugh lifts the hearts of her friends. Plus, it doesn't hurt that she has the body of a supermodel even if she had some diet issues once upon a time,"

Natsu said all of this while staring longingly at her, his eyes filled with a deep and indescribable warmth. With each word his voice changed back just a little bit and she turned just a little more to see the one brave enough to say it all to her face. To say she was shocked would be an understatement never in a million years would she have expected the know it all annoying Natsu Uzumaki would be able to melt her heart in a few lines.

"Did you mean all that?" Ino asked as she stared deep into his eyes looking for any hint of deception with an adorable blush on her face

"Yes, every word of it," Natsu said as he stared back seeing something in her eyes something he had never seen in the eyes of a villager, the absence of hatred and disgust

"You want to go have that discussion now, over tea and sweets?" Natsu asked with a smile but not his usual grin this was a smile to be reserved for her and her alone

"Well I don't have anything better to do," Ino said with a smirk as she removed her apron, "Mom! I'm going out with a friend I'll be back later!"

"Okay have fun dear!" Ino' mom shouted back as she walked into the store front

She wore a purple sleeveless blouse with a high collar, and a knee length grey skirt wearing an apron identical to Ino' over her outfit. She had light brown hair kept in a loose bun with a senbon holding it together and orange pupil less eyes and wore a pair of gold stud earrings. She had pale skin but showed minimal signs of aging with small wrinkles around her mouth, the type you get from smiling often.

"So, which friend is it anyway? Is it Sakura? I wish you would talk to her again you two were so close,"

"No mom, it's not Sakura," Ino said motioning toward Natsu

However, instead of Natsu, in the shop with Ino stood a young boy of similar build, but with black hair and green eyes, in a black T-Shirt with red leaf symbol, grey cargo pants, and black ninja sandal with a sword on his back and his head band showing proudly

"Oh, is this your' friend?" Ino' mother asked sweetly

"Yes, this is…" Ino began not noticing the change

"Koga, Koga Saito!" Natsu blurted as he bowed at the waist to Ino' mother, "Pleasure to meet you Lady Yamanaka,"

"Why, what a splendid introduction young man now how about you do it without the Henge," Ino' father said as he walked in through the front of the door

He was a tall man who oozed confidence which he undoubtedly earned over the years. His face was stern with deep green eyes and pronounced cheekbones. He had tanned skin from hours outside training and platinum blond hair worn in a high set ponytail. He wore the typical T&I uniform consisting of dark blue gray pants and a button up shirt with a black belt that had a silver belt buckle over this he wore a dark black trench coat.

"I doubt you'll think it any good once I do," Natsu said in a saddened voice

"Try me," Inoichi said with a stern look and a raised brow, "If you want to do anything with my daughter I have to be able to trust you somewhat,"

"Yes sir, don't say I didn't warn you," Natsu said dispelling his jutsu with a smirk, "I am Natsu Uzumaki, pleasure to meet you both,"

Ino' parents were both shocked at what they saw. Here in their shop was the young ninja who the entire village had shunned and punished for the last fourteen years, and he somehow still had the balls to ask Inoichi' daughter on a date,

"No wonder you used the Henge no Jutsu," Ino' father said as he began rubbing his chin, "It was pretty good only reason I caught you was I saw the smoke from the technique. I am Ino' father Inoichi Yamanaka and this is my wife and Ino' mother Yuko Yamanaka,"

"Hello, pleasure to meet you," Yuko said smiling

"I usually use it outside before I come in I just didn't expect to meet you guys until after the first date," Natsu said his grin still prominently displayed while he was being stared down by Inoichi

"I am sorry you felt you had to use it at all," Yuko said with a frown, "We don't resent you like the other villagers we just don't agree with your' pranking,"

"Naruto and I only pranked bullies and sometimes did some minor vandalism, which we cleaned up I might add," Natsu said as he turned his nose up

"After you were caught," Ino giggled, "But they haven't pranked since becoming ninja!"

"That's why he hasn't been forced to leave yet," Inoichi said in a stern tone

"So, now that you know who he is can we go?" Ino asked in exasperation at her parent' interference

"Yes, but I want to have a talk with you when you get back, and don't try to lie to me," Inoichi said with a stern look and pointed finger

"You got it, come on Ino let's go," Natsu said grabbing Ino' hand and pulling her out the door

After leaving, they headed to the local teashop, they heard a woman screaming inside for more dango and another bottle of sake. Natsu instantly knew who was inside and turned to Ino, who had a knowing look in her eyes, and smiled.

"Do you want to go get lunch somewhere else?" Natsu asked smiling warmly at her

"Actually, I don't mind Anko-Chan," Ino said with a wide grin as she bent forward and crossed her arms behind her back, "She's my mom' old teammate from back in the day!"

"Really? Cool!" Natsu said impressed,

"I've met her once at the library before back then she made me call her Anko-Sama," Natsu laughed at the memory before a small blush set in

"That day she was arguing with Suzume-Sensei in the middle of the library and swearing her head off," Natsu laughed more, "I was trying to return some scrolls I had borrowed and had to scare them both into stopping long enough to do it!"

"That's probably why she made you call her Anko-Sama," Ino laughed as she pulled Natsu toward the tea shop

"One moment Ino-chan," Natsu said as he stepped back and in a puff of smoke donned his Henge from the flower shop

"Why do you insist on doing that every time you go somewhere with me?" Ino asked annoyed, "Are you afraid to be seen with me?"

"No! Kami No, of course not this isn't for me," Natsu said as he came forward and clasped her hands between his,

"If people saw me with you they would either attack me, kick us out of the place, charge me triple, or start trying to kill me for tainting the purity of a clan heiress with my filthy gaze. I don't want that for you. I don't want them to judge you because of me," Natsu said his eyes filled with sadness as though he was remembering something

"And I don't want you to hide yourself," Ino raised a hand before Natsu could argue with her, "For any reason. After what you said to me and the respect you show people there is nothing they can say or do that will change you in my eyes and there is nothing you can do,"

"What about Sasuke?" Natsu asked in a whisper looking down at the ground still clutching her hand while his trembled softly

Ino squeezed his hand and lifted his chin so her teal eyes could look deeply into his charcoal ones, "He never even gave me more than a glare while you look at me with the kindest smile I've ever seen. He never cared if I lived or died, you talked Asuma-sensei into training us like real shinobi and even talked me out of that stupid diet. What I felt for Sasuke was only a schoolgirl crush and nothing like what I'm starting to feel for you,"

Natsu was stunned. In all his life, no one had ever spoken to him like that nor looked at him the way Ino was looking at him now. Her bright teal eyes were staring at him and piercing his soul while she seemed to slowly piece together the pain and loneliness he and his brother had gone through. He looked back into her eyes taking in everything they offered and finding comfort in them.

"Thank you," Natsu said pulling her into a deep hug as he dropped his Henge, "Let's see how this goes then,"

 **~Inside the Tea Shop~**

The two of them walked into the teashop and felt the room chill as many of the civilians and some of the lower level shinobi stopped what they were doing to glare at Natsu until they noticed who was with him.

When they saw one of the two 'Demon Brats of Konoha' with the heiress of the Yamanaka clan their small minds began to crack unable to comprehend the situation. Many of them became outraged by the sheer gall of the boy. Not only was he coming into the restaurant in broad day light but he was doing so and planning to sit down with a clan heiress.

The tension in the air quickly became palpable until suddenly Anko shouted, "Hey runt! What are you doing here? and is that a girl I see? Get over here!"

Natsu and Ino sweat dropped at the drunken antics of the jonin interrogator before they complied, sitting down across from her. The two of them could tell that she was completely hammered and had no control of herself.

"Hey waiter! Three more orders of dango and something for the kiddies!" Anko called with a drunken grin before she finished her current bottle of sake

"One red bean soup, two orders of dango, an order of rice balls, and two orders of tea please!" Ino called with a sweet smile

"I could have ordered and how did you know what I wanted?" Natsu asked surprised

"I figured you would like the soup since that seems to be Naruto' favorite thing, you know with all the ramen he eats and Dango sounded good," Ino said as though it was completely obvious

"She is (hic) very observant, it comes (hic) with her clan training," Anko slurred out, "They can be fucking scary when they want to be,"

"Remember that Natsu in case I let this go any farther," Ino said with a sweet smile

"Why?" Natsu asked confused

Ino' gave Natsu an 'are you stupid' look before he explained

"I mean it's not like I'm gonna lie to you so that only means I have to be really sneaky about getting you gifts or setting up surprises," Natsu said giving her a warm smile

"Maybe you're right but you also should watch out for my father," Ino warned with a sweet smile, "He can read your' conscious mind just by touching you without a hand sign but, if he wants to read your' memories then he needs a certain set of signs,"

"Right got me there," Natsu said his eyes widened in fright for a moment

" **Don't worry kit, I defend you from mental attacks and other types of mental intrusion including Genjutsu,** " Kurama-yin spoke which instantly calmed the boy, " **You're doing well, I can smell that she is starting to like you more and more,** "

Right about then the waiter brought their orders giving Natsu a cold stare and nearly spilling his soup onto him

"Thank you," Natsu said with a grin holding Ino' hand

The waiter turned with a grunt and walked off seething and began speaking heatedly with the owner pointing back to the table with two of Konoha' most hated and the Yamanaka heiress

"That's sweet and all but, why are you two here on a date?" Anko asked suddenly becoming way less drunk and scarily serious

"Well Ino wanted some advice on training and other stuff and so we decided to meet up after our latest missions," Natsu said sheepishly before Ino squeezed his hand

"It didn't hurt when Natsu confessed his feelings at my family' shop," Ino said smiling fondly at him

"Sweet, but I meant why are you here and not training for the Chunin Exams in two months?" Anko asked looking at the pair with an inquisitive eye

"Wait! The Chunin Exams are in two months?" Natsu and Ino asked in unison

"Yeah, I don't know the first part of them but the second part is my Field 44 Survival Special!" Anko said while she chugged down some more sake, "and after that is the big tournament,"

Both Natsu and Ino sweat dropped

"Anko-Sama are you so drunk that a T&I specialist is leaking intel or are you trying to be nice so a gaki and friend' daughter do well?" Natsu asked with a sly grin

"I will neither confirm nor deny any of that," Anko said as she turned away pouting with her arms crossed

"Well to answer your' question we didn't know about the exams," Ino said with a smile

"You guys should get to training then," Anko said with a serious tone, "the competition may be fierce this year,"

Natsu and Ino looked to each other and quickly scarfed down their food before leaving some cash on the table and heading for the door.

"Hey!" shouted the owner getting the pairs attention, "You haven't paid for your' meal!"

"The money's on the table," Natsu said as he stepped toward the exit

"What money?" their waiter asked

Natsu and Ino looked toward the table and saw the cash still on the table and the waiter moving bowls and plates around as though it were invisible. Natsu sighed and walked to the table picking up the money and handing it to the owner.

"This isn't enough," the owner sneered

" _Here it comes_ ," Natsu thought with a sigh, "What do you mean?"

"I mean this covers the food but me letting something like you eat it in here," the owner said with a malicious smirk on his face the other patrons and staff giving off a small amount of Ki, "That costs extra,"

"Fine, how much?" Natsu said exasperatedly while he fished back out his wallet

"Everything you got," the owner said with his right hand outstretched, "Including that fancy sword of your'"

"Or I could just as easily walk out of here and leave you with the only legal charge you have," Natsu said as he released his own KI overtaking that of the patrons, chilling even Anko' spine

"I have payed you what I owe you now let us go so we can enjoy our day," Natsu growled at the owner

The patrons and staff didn't dare stop him now. Natsu grabbed Ino' hand and together they left the teashop Natsu still fuming until they turned the corner.

"Sorry you had to see that," Natsu said in a calm voice still seething

"No, I'm sorry I never expected it to be that bad while I was there with you," Ino apologized while pulling Natsu into a short hug, "I guess that's why you use the Henge no Jutsu,"

"Yeah, those stupid civis just can't tell the difference between the scroll and the kunai sealed inside," Natsu said sadly, "I just hope someday I can walk into a restaurant with you on my arm and my real face proudly displayed,"

Natsu raised his hands and was about to adopt his Henge once more when Ino stopped him

"You will someday and until then you can always walk into my shop with your' real face. You can hold my hand and walk with me without that stupid jutsu. You can hold me close with your' arms" Ino said smiling up at him and cupping his cheek in her hand, "I am not ashamed of being with you no matter what these stupid civilians say,"

Natsu couldn't believe what he was hearing. To think that someone like her, the heiress to a prestigious clan, would even be seen with him.

"If you don't believe me let me prove it," Ino said as she pulled him forward bringing his lips down to hers kissing him in full view of the civilians of Konoha. The kiss deepened slowly turning from a light peck to one of deep passion and longing. The simple spark between them now igniting a roaring inferno within them both. As they separated they shared a small moment which told each other 'I will always be here for you' and displayed a love neither could yet truly fathom.

"You believe me now?" Ino said smiling up at him

Natsu looked down to her his charcoal grays staring back into her teal pools and all he could do was nod, afraid his voice would fail him and break this moment.

"Well then where's that advice you promised me?" Ino giggled at the now stunned boy

Natsu finally calmed down enough for conversation and said, "Well that depends on what's troubling you,"

"A lot is though!" Ino whined while they walked through Konoha with no real destination and the glares of the civilians the whole way,

"Right now, after what you said and how you've been I'm more concerned with mine and Sakura' relationship," Ino said with a sad pout and a sigh

"Well I guess I don't mind sharing you with Sakura if that's what you mean," Natsu said with a cheeky smile trying to cheer up the dejected girl

"Ha very funny," Ino said with a mock glare, "I mean our friendship when we were younger we were best friends and I even helped her become more aggressive,"

"I remember you two were almost inseparable back then until Sasuke became the guy every girl wanted," Natsu said with a grin while he looked up at the sky

"Yeah, he's the reason we became rivals in love and life," Ino said sadly, "I'm tired of fighting with her all the time. I just want to go back to the way we were and be friends again but still be rivals as shinobi,"

"Yeah, I get that like Naruto and Sasuke they are always trying to outdo each other but if they are in a fight they can always count on each other," Natsu said with a real smile toward Ino, "They have this unspoken team work that works incredibly well,"

"Yeah, exactly something like that but without all the death glares and insults they give each other," Ino laughed sheepishly

"Well, they stopped that not too long ago and if that's the case, then just tell Sakura you're not into Sasuke as more than a friend now then she won't have any reason to be so cold to you and you guys can become friends again," Natsu said smiling using his hands to emphasize his points

"That could work but I'm also worried about my training and my lack of strength," Ino said clenching her fists and sighing

"I can give you some weights and chakra control exercises," Natsu said reassuringly as they began climbing the stairs to the top of the Hokage Monument, "They will help you to increase your' basic physical strength, stamina, and chakra reserves allowing you to fight harder, longer, and use more and more powerful jutsu,"

"That sounds like a great idea plus me and Sakura could work on them together," Ino said with a huge smile pulling Natsu into a tight hug while she jumped up and down,

"So, why are we up here?" Ino asked when she realized Natsu had led her to the top of the Hokage monument to the top of the Yondaime' head

"I wanted to show you my favorite place in the village," Natsu said sweeping his arm out over the village from the top of the Fourth Hokage' head while the two sat down, "This view has always calmed me and Naruto when we were upset. From here, I can see those who we are destined to protect and those I find precious and those who will bring this village to greatness,"

"But if they're all in there then what are you and what about the way they treat you?" Ino asked completely confused by Natsu' words

"I am connected to everyone in this village and they to me in some way or another," Natsu said, "I will protect these people because they were all once precious to my parents and, as for the people their fear and hatred is misplaced I will show them that I am not some evil like they think I am,"

"All because your' parents, who you never knew, died trying to protect the village fourteen years ago," Ino asked awed by his convictions but still confused by his naiveté

"Not just them the Hokage told me and Naruto once, 'This entire village is precious to me and as such I will risk my life to protect them for the job of the Hokage is not only to lead the village but to fight for it' people and keep them safe,' so you see since it's Naruto' dream to become Hokage it is thus our duty to protect these people even if they hate us,"

"I think I can understand but I don't think I would follow through if they treated me like they do you," Ino said pulling her knees up to her chest, "I only saw it today for a moment while you guys live your' lives in that hell. The worst part is I know them and they are usually nice people,"

"They are blinded by their hatred. They look at me like I'm a vile full of poison corrupting anything I touch," Natsu said with a far-off look,

"You said something like that before too," Ino said tilting her head to the left in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"I am not sure if I should tell you just yet," Natsu sighed looking out over the village sadly

"You can tell me anything I won't tell anyone," Ino said excited by the secret

"See right there!" Natsu exclaimed pointing at Ino, "You get so excited by gossip that if the opportunity presented itself you would blab!"

"I only do that with stupid fads and who likes who shit!" Ino shouted back, "Besides no one ever talks gossip about you so it would be safe,"

"If you're sure," Natsu began and Ino nodded adamantly, "Well you remember the Kyuubi attack fourteen years ago? (Nod) Well during that attack the Yondaime didn't kill the Kyuubi, even if he had, it would have come back in a few years' time regardless, so instead he separated the Kyuubi into it' Yin and Yang halves and sealed them away separately,"

"But then why do the history books say he killed it and where was it sealed?" Ino asked her face a mix of confusion and shock

"The village elders, mostly the Sandaime, decided that our generation didn't need to know and as for where it was sealed," Natsu reached down and touched his stomach. "The two halves were sealed within a pair of newborn twins the Yin half sealed in the elder brother and the Yang half sealed in the younger,"

"Really Who?" Ino asked shaking Natsu' shoulder trying to get him to tell her sooner

"Me and Naruto," Natsu said looking at Ino for any sign of fear or hatred but what he saw made him freeze. Instead of the look of confusion he was expecting or the 'Ha ha you got me,' Ino showed a look of understanding and sadness

"You poor thing no wonder those stupid villagers hate you after what that demon did to this village the lives it destroyed everyone hates it," at her words Natsu cringed and began clutching his chest Ino saw this and gave him a comforting smile

"But you aren't him you are Natsu Uzumaki brother of the future Hokage! You are the scroll not the kunai," Ino said with a reassuring smile bringing Natsu' hand up to cup her cheek

A wave of relief washed over him at her words and a wave of joy at her gentle touch. He felt happy for the first time in some years and he couldn't be more thankful to the girl beside him for her kindness and understanding.

"You should know he isn't a demon and he didn't attack the village on purpose he just didn't stop when he could," Natsu said sheepishly looking at Ino who gave him a glare that begged for an explanation

"He was being influenced by a powerful Sharingan user, from outside the village, and forced to attack," Natsu began. "Once the Sharingan user was defeated the Kyuubi just didn't stop but that was just before the Yondaime appeared in the battle,"

"So, the Kyuubi didn't start the assault but he didn't stop when he could have," Ino asked

"Yes and no he was still disoriented after the Sharingan' control was stopped," Natsu explained

"So, which half do you have?" Ino asked innocently

"I have the Yin half he is a bit meaner but still kind and helpful," Natsu said, "He told me to get you this for our date,"

With that Natsu pulled out a small necklace composed of a teal teardrop shaped crystal with a silver chain. Ino' eyes widened at the gift and she squealed before thanking Natsu with a deep kiss and a hug.

"So you like it?" Natsu asked when Ino let him up for air

"It's perfect, how did you get it?" Ino squealed before the question came to her

"Legally, I sent a clone before I went to your' flower shop," Natsu explained hurt at the implications of her question, "The necklace is a bit generic but I thought it matched your' eyes,"

"That is so romantic!" Ino squealed while hugging the life out of him

"So, what does all this make us?" Natsu asked nervously looking to her for the answer

"What else? I really like you and I can tell you like me too so we must be a couple," Ino said with a warm beaming smile while she hugged Natsu' arm tightly

"You're right as always," Natsu chuckled smiling at her and then turning his face to the sky

Ino looked up from her position against his shoulder and saw the sun begin to dance behind him his hair flowing in the breeze and a smile playing on his face. He was quite handsome she had to admit and she knew right then that what she felt for him was a million times more potent than anything she felt for Sasuke.

"Natsu don't freak out but I think I'm falling in love with you," Ino whispered as the sun began to set turning the clouds above brilliant hues of pink and orange and revealing the truest beauty of the village making Ino forget all the hate she saw that day

"That's okay, I fell for you years ago," Natsu said smiling down at her and taking in the majesty of the sunset hoping that this moment would be forever etched into his mind

"I guess we have to get going then my dad still wants to talk to you," Ino said pouting not wanting to move but not wanting her dad pissed off at her boyfriend either

The two stood up and walked back down the monument and back to the Yamanaka compound with Ino hugging Natsu' arm tight her new necklace perfectly situated around her neck

 **~Time Skip: Yamanaka Compound~**

The new couple reached the Yamanaka compound quickly, the compound seemed to be made up of several smaller homes with one slightly larger than the others, and found Inoichi waiting for them outside his arms crossed and his foot tapping while his face showed his clear frustration.

"I guess we kept you waiting," Natsu said as they walked up and he bowed, "Sorry for that sir it was not my intention,"

"Regardless I still want to talk to you about this," Inoichi said pointing from Natsu to Ino and back, "There are some particulars we have to discuss,"

Natsu nodded and the three of them entered the compound once they reached a study Inoichi turned to the couple

"Ino, why don't you go help your' mother with dinner?" Inoichi said sternly

Ino gave Natsu a worried glance to which he nodded

"I'll be fine go," Natsu said before Ino released his arm and headed off presumably toward the kitchen

The study had multiple bookshelves packed with books and scrolls, likely on the human mind. A large oak desk sat in the middle of the room with numerous documents scattered across the table top. There were two plush leather arm chairs in front of the desk and a commanding and comfortable looking arm chair behind the desk. Natsu took a seat in one of the arm chairs while Inoichi sat behind the desk.

"Now, I know about you and what took place I am one of the people responsible for changing the memories of any who witnessed the sealing," Inoichi said watching Natsu for his reaction

"Never knew the old man went that far to keep me a state secret," Natsu mused with a hand on his chin, "But I already told Ino and don't worry she is safe since we became Genin me and Naruto were allowed to tell anyone we feel like from our generation about what is sealed inside especially if they are close to us,"

Inoichi was surprised to say the least, "How did it go?"

"Well, she took it well she wasn't confused and was surprisingly calm about it all after I explained what I know," Natsu said with a smile

"Yes, what do you know?" Inoichi asked stressing the word 'know' as though it held another meaning

"I know that the Yondaime sealed the Yin half of the Kyuubi inside me and the Yang half in Naruto and that my parents died at some point during the attack other than that I am pretty clueless," Natsu said lying just a smidge

"Don't lie to me boy you know more don't you," Inoichi stated with authority straightening his posture to intimidate the Genin before him

"Yeah fine," Natsu said in defeat, "I know that the Kyuubi didn't attack of his own accord and that my parents sealed his Yin half in me,"

" _So, he knew it all,"_ Inoichi thought his eyes wide, "How did you find out? This is an S-Class secret after all,"

"Kyuubi told me almost two years ago, when I had a bit of a psychological break after failing the graduation test again," Natsu said remembering that day with a mixture of happiness and disgust

"I see," Inoichi began, " _He's talking to it that could be a problem_ ,"

Inoichi rose from his chair and came around the large oak desk he had been sitting at and kneeled in front of Natsu

"I would like to confirm everything you just told me would that be okay?" Inoichi asked knowing his technique was far easier with willing participants

"I can't let you in," Natsu said politely knowing the Yamanaka clan head would be upset

"Why not?" Inoichi growled at the boy' hubris

"The other guy might try to lock you in or simply toss you out or hurt you via the connection," Natsu said animatedly trying to warn the Inoichi

"Well, I guess I can't force you then but know this," Inoichi said his voice cold, "If you hurt my little girl, Kyuubi or not, I will find you and castrate you before killing you,"

"No worries there, sir," Natsu said with a kind smile, "Us Jinchuriki are very protective of those we let in and are the least likely to do anything to hurt them, in any way,"

"Good then let's go eat I'm sure Yuko will have dinner ready by now," Inoichi said smiling pushing the boy toward the door

"Okay, I just need to send home a clone to tell Naruto what is going on and make him dinner," Natsu said with a smile,

"Otherwise he'll just eat ramen for dinner," Natsu said shaking his head at how smart yet clueless his brother could be

"That's fine," Inochi said while he watched Natsu effortlessly create a Kage Bunshin which ran off at break neck speeds, " _Truly_ _incredible_ ,"

The two of them left the study and went into a moderate sized dining room where they found Ino blushing and her mother teasing her lightly over the new boy in her life with a dinner of seared fish, vegetables, and rice.

"So, what did you two do anyway?" Yuko asked her daughter who started blushing

"Nothing we got some tea he gave me some advice and we watched the sunset from atop the Hokage Monument," Ino said lightly touching the necklace around her neck

"Oh, did he give you that?" Yuko asked noticing her daughter' face become a darker shade of red, "He did how sweet!"

Inoichi listened intently to the story before he noticed something seemed to be missing

"You kissed him, didn't you?" Inoichi asked his voice taking on a darker tone before his hands raised in the sign for the Yamanaka' 'Mind Destruction Jutsu' before Ino' mother came up behind him and knocked him on the back of the head

"Knock it off dear," Yuko said with a sweet smile and an even sweeter voice which sent chills down both Natsu and Inoichi' spines

"Yes dear," Inoichi said with a terrified smile while his shoulders slumped slightly

"Inoichi-Sama?" Natsu asked politely once everyone had finished eating

"Yes, Natsu?" Inoichi said looking over at the young man

"May I tell them everything I still didn't mention some stuff," Natsu asked politely

"If that's the case go on," Inoichi said wanting to hear the rest

Natsu began explaining how the Yin half of Kurama was sealed within him and how that night fourteen years ago, the Kyuubi had been forced to attack and then disoriented enough to continue. He told them the identities of his parents and how they had sacrificed themselves to seal the Kyuubi in him and his brother so they could one day defeat the man responsible. His story left the room silent with Inoichi looking at the young boy, no young man, before him in a new perspective. Yuko had wide eyes and looked like she was about to cry for him and Ino looked excited for some reason.

"Wow, so you and Naruto are the sons of the Yondaime, the Yellow Flash!?" Ino asked excitedly like the rest of the story didn't faze her

"Yeah, I guess I should have told you earlier," Natsu said sheepishly

"That is the saddest story I've ever heard," Yuko cried while clutching Inoichi' shoulder

"My story is nothing compared to the pain of some others from that night," Natsu said with a smile and sad eyes, "Like Iruka-Sensei who lost both his parents and got that scar,"

"You don't have to be strong around me you know, right?" Ino asked hugging him

"I know thanks," Natsu said with a warm smile and a shimmer in his eyes

"It is very hard to hide pain behind joy," Inoichi said solemnly, "I guess you are worthy of my daughter,"

"I guess I should be taking my leave thank you for the meal and for hearing me out," Natsu said bowing at the waist to Ino' parents before turning to Ino

"And thank you for giving me a chance," Natsu said pulling Ino into a tight hug, "I'll see you again soon,"

Natsu began to walk off before he froze and straightened up turning back and running to Ino, "I almost forgot about that training gear,"

Natsu the pulled out a scroll from one of his weapons pouches and opened it to reveal several storage seals. He bit his thumb and wiped blood along the first three which burst into a plume of smoke when it cleared three sets of full body weights in black appeared.

"From the left, we have 10kg, 15kg, and 20kg you should wear them unless your' sleeping or bathing and should switch to the next one after two weeks of use and continue with the 20kg for the final month, this will help you catch up to Sakura quickly without actually hurting yourself, just remember to take breaks and don't push it week one with the weights," Natsu explained smiling,

"Oh and here are the basics on sand splitting and waterfall climbing," Natsu said pulling out a small scroll from his pocket

"Well thanks Natsu," Ino said smiling pulling him in for another hug before giving him a deep kiss which he returned after some seconds of shock before they separated with Ino smiling happily as Natsu left the house

Natsu walked off towards his and Naruto' apartment with a smile plastered on his face and a skip in his step before the memories of his clone returned and his smile grew ten-fold

 **~With Naruto: Earlier~**

Naruto had just left the Hokage' office leaving Kakashi to play tour guide for Zabuza and Haku. He went down to the mission assignment desk with his mission scroll and received his A-Rank pay. As he left he ran into Team 8 once again this time with both Kurenai and Kiba giving him less than pleasant looks. Kurenai was glaring at him for his earlier comments while Kiba' was simply for having his 'Alpha Dog' status challenged.

Hinata beamed at her boyfriend and jumped into his outstretched arms before being spun around playfully. They laughed with each other for a moment before Naruto leaned in for a small chaste kiss.

"I really did miss you, Hinata-hime," Naruto said with a bright smile

"As did I, Naru-chan," Hinata cheered playfully much to Naruto' chagrin

"You are the only one who can ever call me that," Naruto whispered back with a loving smile

"Naru-chan, is it?" Kiba asked in a teasing manner before he and Akamaru burst out laughing

"Yeah, what's it to yuh?" Naruto asked with a bored expression hiding his annoyance

"Oh, nothing, I just can't believe I felt challenged by someone who would let themselves be called such a ridiculous name," Kiba laughed

"Maybe I am just so confident that even if my name was Naruko I would still be the Alpha Dog," Naruto said teasingly

"Why you!" Kiba growled before Kurenai grabbed him by his collar

"That's enough you two I will not tolerate fights between comrades, especially not in the Hokage' tower!" Kurenai chastised with an icy tone

"Yes, Kurenai-sensei," both boys muttered while glaring at each other

"Naru-chan, can we go get some lunch together?" Hinata asked with an adorable pout

"Of course, Hinata-hime, my treat," Naruto said smiling while they headed off to a nearby café

When they were out of ear shot, "Kurenai-sensei I really don't like him," Kiba pouted gaining an acknowledging yip from his partner

"I know but he treats her right and only seems to retaliate never making the first move, there is nothing we can do except train hard and beat him in the Chunin exams," Kurenai said gaining a raised eyebrow from Shino

Kurenai turned to the young Aburame and whispered, "I am not having you gun for them I'm just motivating my arrogant student to do better," she explained with a warm smile

"I hope this will yield promising results, Kurenai-sensei," Shino said with a small nod

 **~With Naruto and Hinata~**

"So, where do you want to eat today, Hinata-hime?" Naruto asked with a bright smile

"There is a small café that has some great food, especially the pastries," Hinata said with her own grin

"I guess I'm trapped then," Naruto said with mock distraught face

The young couple walked into the small café, which only had a few customers peppering the dining area. They walked over to a table in the back of the café and started going over the menus.

After a short wait they were greeted by a young woman, with long flowing brown hair and forest green eyes, wearing a white blouse and black knee length skirt while holding a small pad of paper and a pen.

"Good afternoon, what can I get started for you today?" the waitress asked in a cheery voice until she noticed who she was addressing and a small scowl marred her pleasant features

"What are you doing here?" she sneered

"I am trying to have lunch with my beautiful girlfriend on this fine day, what about you?" Naruto retorted with a soft smile to the now fuming Hinata

"I am sorry sir but we can't serve you," the waitress said without even trying to hide her malice

"And why, pray tell, is that?" Hinata asked in subdued fury

"Because we don't serve monsters, ms…" the waitress began before her eyes widened when she realized just who had spoken. Sitting across from the demon brat was none other than the clan heiress of the most powerful and prestigious clans in the village, Hyuuga Hinata

"But it's perfectly fine to serve any other paying shinobi even foreigners, correct?" Hinata asked with the Hyuuga stone face and a raised eyebrow

"Yes… I mean no, no miss, what will it be?" the waitress asked now with an extremely nervous and forced smile

"I will have the grilled salmon with steamed vegetables and white rice, with ten cinnamon rolls for dessert," Hinata said sweetly with a tilt of her head

"And you, s-sir?" the waitress asked with barely contained rage

"I will have the steak with white rice and sautéed vegetables, with five cinnamon rolls for dessert," Naruto stated flatly

"Alright and any drinks?"

"Some juice sounds nice," Hinata said with a smile

"One for me too please," Naruto added

"It'll be right up!" the waitress chirped happy to leave the demon' table even for a few short moments

"Thanks, Hinata-hime, I usually just ignore them and go somewhere else," Naruto said with a treasuring smile while he rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb

"It's no trouble Naru-chan, I love you and I can't stand it when they treat you like that, so if I have to play the Hyuuga heiress card to allow us to eat a nice lunch together out in the village, I will," Hinata replied with a warm smile while she squeezed his hand

They talked fondly about their first missions outside the village. Naruto' being much more thrilling than Hinata' what with the B and A-Rank criminals popping up out of nowhere and with Gato' double cross and subsequent 'interview' leaving him penniless and beaten to a bloody pulp.

"You should have seen it, Hime, the vault was filled with gold and jewels and stacks upon stacks of Ryo with seemingly no end. He had hundreds of specialty and chakra sensitive weapons and pieces of custom armor everywhere," Naruto said with large hand gestures

"It sounds incredible, so, what did you get me?" Hinata asked adorably

"What makes you think I got you anything?" Naruto said with a haughty look

"Because I love you and know that you wouldn't pass up that opportunity," Hinata said sweetly

"Fine, you caught me," Naruto said in mock exasperation as he pulled a thin box about 15cm in length from his jacket pocket and opened the small box

"Naruto-kun, it's beautiful!" Hinata gasped upon seeing a small golden locket inside with a pale amethyst heart set into the face. Surrounding the heart were intricate engravings that reminded her of flowing water.

"Look inside," Naruto said with a smile

Hinata opened the locket and engraved there was a picture of the two of them cuddling on a bench under the full moon and stars next to the image was written, 'I am forever your' and you are forever mine,'

"How did you do this?" Hinata asked in utter astonishment

"My friend helped me with the mental image and then I used wind manipulation to carve the image and the message into the locket," Naruto said as he stood up and helped her place the locket around her neck before sitting down

"Thank you, I'll treasure it always," Hinata said with a smile

"I also ingrained sealing arrays into the original engravings to make it much more durable and there are even blood seals on the clasp so only you can remove it," he smiled warmly

Their orders came and they ate in a comfortable silence, after Naruto sniffed their food and drinks for poison, and even shared a bit between each other. After their entre came their desserts all of which were for a wide eyed and ecstatic Hinata.

They left the café after paying their bill and left with Hinata latched tightly to Naruto' left arm and her head resting on his shoulder while his arm was snaked securely around her waist.

They strolled through the village for a few hours and enjoyed the sunset from the roof of the Hokage' tower before they headed toward the clan district. When they arrived at the Hyuuga compound Naruto wrapped Hinata into a tight embrace and took in a sharp inhale of her lavender shampoo before looking down into her pale lavender eyes.

"I love and appreciate you so much every single day," Naruto said with a lovingly warm smile

"I love you and the positive effect you always seem to have on me," Hinata said with an equally loving smile. She popped up on her tiptoes to close the gap between their lips and brought Naruto in to a searing lip lock which he eagerly returned. After several minutes of this, which felt like hours to the young couple, they separated themselves gasping for breath while they stared deep into each other' eyes.

"Good night, my Hime, sleep well," Naruto whispered into her ear as he pulled her close once more

"Good night, my love, sweet dreams, I'll see you tomorrow," Hinata whispered back before nipping his ear playfully and stepping back with her arms crossed behind her

Naruto stood there watching her walk toward the gate for several minutes with a large smile plastered across his face

" _She's the greatest, isn't she?_ " Naruto thought with immense warmth

" **Your' mother had similar thoughts about your' father whenever I could hear them, bitch had me strapped to a rock in a fire pit**!" Kurama-yang growled

" _Well, we're partners now so no worries about that_ ," Naruto thought with a beaming smile as he walked off to his apartment

 **~Uzumaki Apartment~**

Natsu got back to the apartment still stuck on cloud nine. He opened the door and found Naruto meditating in the middle of the living room. He seemed to be concentrating in earnest but upon closer inspection he was sleeping in the lotus position. Natsu sweat dropped when he discovered this

"What am I going to do with you?" Natsu mused as he picked his brother up and placed him in his bed still fully clothed at which point Naruto let out a loud snore, "You know like this no one could tell he was anything but a normal human child,"

" **You are right but very few could see it that way for most this becomes an opportunity for a killing blow** ," Kurama-Yin growled in controlled rage

"Thanks, you big fluff ball you always cheer us up," Natsu smiled teasing the chakra beast

" **Just get some rest tomorrow you boys start intensive training to prepare for the trials of the Chuunin Exams** ," Kurama-Yin said with a parental growl

"You got it boss!" Natsu said smiling inwardly while he put on his red and black striped pajamas and his black night cap with a red ball at the tip of the hat, "Good night,"

" **Sleep well** ," Kurama-Yin said closing his eyes as well

 **`Time Skip: Next Morning Training Ground 7~**

It was half past eight in the morning and the sun hung low in the sky dotted by clouds as they passed slowly above the heads of the Genin. The days were slowly getting longer signifying the end of spring and start of summer. Natsu and Naruto had opted to wear their chainmail armor shirts with T-shirts, Natsu' was red with a black leaf symbol while Naruto' was blue with an orange leaf. Both were made of a special material which was strong but lightweight and breathable so it didn't hinder their speed. They also were wearing black and blue, respectively, ninja pants with their weapons pouches and weights. They both wore 75kg in weights and seemed to be acclimating to the added weight. Sasuke and Sakura were wearing their standard outfits and 50kg and 10kg in weight respectively and were both sporting their new gear from their recent mission. Their arm guards each having been modified further with, Kuchiyose: Raikō Kenka (Summoning: Lightning Flash Blade Creation) seals curtosy of the young Uzumaki.

Team 7 had been waiting for their Jonin sensei for nearly two hours now and none of them were pleased. Within the first hour Natsu had decided to start doing laps on the surface of the nearby lake while holding a leaf to his forehead while he had twenty clones practice Kenjutsu in the field. Naruto was doing zigzagging laps up and down the trees surrounding the clearing as he went down one he would cross the clearing and climb another on that side with no rhythm or pattern with twenty of his clones sparring with Natsu'.

While they were working on their respective skills Sasuke watched their style comparing it to his own finding it to be attack oriented and flexible while his consisted of powerful one-hit-kill strikes and used the principles of the interceptor fist to use such moves before the enemy knew what hit them. The style also allowed for flexible defense but not to the extent of the Uzumaki style.

" _Those guys could help me polish up my Intercepting blade style,"_ Sasuke thought with a smirk

"Hey Naruto, could you make a couple clones for me to spar?" Sasuke shouted drawing his sword and getting into a ready stance with his three tomoe Sharingan spinning

"Sure Teme!" Naruto called back as he made three clones who all dashed to Sasuke blades drawn and began attacking from multiple angles

" _Sasuke looks so intense when he spars with them, if I was stronger then maybe Sasuke-kun would look at me like that!"_ Sakura thought sadly before a look of determination flashed across her face and she stood up deciding to practice her tree climbing to build up her stamina and chakra reserves,

"Hey! Naruto I'm going to use this tree until Kakashi-Sensei arrives!" Sakura shouted pointing to one of the taller trees in the clearing

"Sure, thing Sakura just be careful," Naruto said smiling

"Hey Sakura, you want some heavier training weights? it might speed things up!" Natsu called from the lake

"Okay, but not too much," Sakura said while Natsu ran over bringing out his sealing scroll

Natsu set down the scroll and unsealed the first marker bringing out a set of black training weights

"Here these are only 15kg total they should help to bring up your' stamina, speed, strength, and endurance," Natsu said smiling while he helped Sakura put on the weights and adjust them for her frame

"Thanks, these will definitely help," Sakura smiled noticing something on Natsu' headband, "Hold still you got something stuck in your' head band,"

"Kay," Natsu said standing as still as possible

Sakura reached up and pulled the foreign object from the rivet of Natsu' headband. Her eyes threatened to pop out of her skull when she realized what was in his headband. Now in her hand was a single pale blond hair that was at least a meter in length.

"Whose hair is this?" Sakura asked already knowing the answer

"Oh, that's Ino-Chan' must have gotten there during our date,' Natsu said sheepishly but with a warm smile on his face

"Wait you and Ino, on a Date!?" Sakura asked not even hiding her disbelief

"Yeah, I turned one of Sasuke' fan girls," Natsu said with a smirk, "And I couldn't be happier!"

"Thank Kami! One down two hundred to go!" Sasuke shouted as he parried a diagonal slash from Naruto' clone

"But she and I have been rivals for Sasuke for years are you sure she turned from him?" Sakura asked a small bit of hope in her eyes

"Yes, she told me yesterday that she is no longer after Sasuke," Natsu said smiling at his teammate, "She also said something about you,"

"What did she say?" Sakura nearly shouted wanting to know

"Something about how you were but if you want to know go talk to her," Natsu said with his sly grin knowing he was driving Sakura up the wall,

"But wear the weights that way you can still call it training and avoid the wrath of the lazy ass," Natsu snickered while Kakashi appeared behind him

"And who would this lazy ass be?" Kakashi asked with a sweet tone placing a hand on Natsu' shoulder

"Who else?" Natsu said shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head side to side, "It's you Kakashi-Nii-san,"

"You little rascal," Kakashi said while he gave Natsu a noogie, "But Sakura you can go talk to Ino she's training over in training ground 10 right now just wear the weights and run,"

"Thank you Kakashi-Sensei and thanks Natsu," Sakura nearly squealed as she ran off

 **~Time skip: 1 Hour: After Sakura' Return~**

"Sasuke! Naruto! Natsu! Front and center!" Kakashi ordered with the returned and tired Sakura at his side. Naruto and Natsu dispelled their clones stumbling for an instant before recovering while Sasuke sheathed his blade and jogged over

"Today we are going to begin more advanced training to prepare you guys for the Chunin exams," Kakashi said with an eye smile

"That's a relief," Natsu said with a sigh

"What's wrong Natsu?" Kakashi asked with a quizzical eyebrow raise

"I heard from an unnamable and very accurate source that the Chunin exams will be held in two months on the first of July," Natsu said everyone showing surprise except Sakura, " _Guess Ino told her_ ,"

"Are you sure? Who told you?" Kakashi asked worried about the time crunch

"I can't say who but they are very reliable and I know their info is good," Natsu said avoiding any identifiable information on his mystery source

"If that's the case we need to step up training and take on fewer missions," Kakashi said as he went deep in thought

"Natsu and I can train alone so you can focus on Sasuke and Sakura," Naruto said trying to ease Kakashi' worries,

"If you show us a couple of your' Kenjutsu techniques that you have copied over the years," Naruto finished with a grin

"Fine that would help and after watching you two I know you can do it and become stronger quickly," Kakashi said thinking back to the training they did moments ago

"Will you show me as well?" Sasuke asked with his stoic face

"I will show you guys in just a minute" Kakashi said with an eye smile,

All three young swordsmen nodded with grins on their faces at the prospect of adding new techniques to their repertoires

"Good now let's start the demonstration so we can all begin training," Kakashi said standing up

"Alright!" Naruto cheered pumping a fist in the air

"The techniques are: Hazy Moon; Leaf Style: Dance of the Crescent Moon; Cloud Style: Flame Beheading; and Leaf Style: Willow," Kakashi said while he pulled a glowing white Tanto out of a pocket hidden on his pant leg,

"Isn't that the 'White Light Chakra Saber'? The one that was destroyed that day and that gave your' dad the name 'White Fang of the Leaf'?" Natsu asked amazed at the blade' history

"Good eye, Natsu, yes it was destroyed but I had it fully repaired about three months ago after a surprising day with four stupid kids," Kakashi said with an eye smile making all four Genin beam, "Now watch closely!"

Kakashi performed the first technique shouting, "Hazy Moon," as he brought his Tanto down and made a deep gash in a training dummy

"Now usually I would bring my Ninken out and they would pin my opponent so I could strike but to show you I didn't need all that," Kakashi explained

"How do you have Ninken?" Natsu asked

"Yeah, I thought they were an Inuzuka only thing," Naruto said excitedly

"My father did the Inuzuka a great kindness once and they repaid him by giving him his pick of Ninken but to the surprise of the entire Inuzuka clan eight different pups walked to my father and imprinted on him instead of the one they expected," Kakashi explained to his Genin

"Next is the Leaf Style: Dance of the Crescent Moon," Kakashi said creating two basic clones all three then rushed the dummy from different sides and when Kakashi made his strike his blade left an arc in the shape of a crescent moon cutting through the dummy.

Kakashi then dispelled his clones and started swinging his blade back and forth weaving a Genjutsu with the blade creating the illusion of a hundred identical blades swinging back and forth before he rushed forward shouting, "Leaf Style: Willow!" before leaving gashes in the dummies arms and torso.

For the final technique Kakashi activated his Sharingan and coated his blade in fire chakra before shouting, "Cloud Style: Flame Beheading!" slicing of the dummy' head and leaving the rest of the dummy scorched at the neck.

The three Genin had all been using their Dojutsus and taking in the techniques. Natsu felt slightly dejected that he couldn't learn the final technique but perked up when he realized he could still do the other three

"You boys get all that?" Kakashi asked and received several nods in return,

"Then show me," Kakashi said while he set up targets on several trees nearby

The three Genin drew their swords and went through the techniques in the same sequence as Kakashi and showing less control in the techniques but nothing a little practice couldn't fix

"Natsu, why didn't you use the 'Cloud Style: Flame Beheading'?" Kakashi asked in curiosity

"I don't have a fire affinity so I couldn't," Natsu explained simply

"I see well I'm sorry but those were the only chakra related sword strikes I know," Kakashi apologized

"No worries, Kakashi-sensei, I can still work on a hundred other things," Natsu reassured

"We will be a million times stronger by the end of these two months, Believe IT!" Naruto shouted with his sword raised high into the sky

"We will train hard and just tell us when we are going on missions," Natsu said with a smile as he and Naruto walked off to start their training.

"Hope it works out guys," Sakura called as they left, "And thanks a ton Natsu!"

"Whatever," Natsu said giving an over the shoulder wave

"We'll spar when you get back, Dobe!" Sasuke shouted with a cocky smirk

"They will be fine I mean it's only two months and then I'll help them and you guys again after the exams," Kakashi said placing a reassuring hand on his Genin' shoulders

"So, first let's go and get those custom orders of your' in at 'The Broken Dagger," Kakashi said with an eye smile

"What are you going to get then Sakura?" Sasuke asked slightly intrigued

"I think a Bo staff will work best with me and my Doton chakra," Sakura explained with a smile

"I'm getting myself a Ninjato made so I can use a two-sword variant of the Intercepting blade," Sasuke said deep in thought

"Sounds simple enough, especially for Ken-san," Kakashi said with an eye smile while they left the training ground

 **~With Naruto and Natsu: Outside Namikaze Compound~**

Natsu and Naruto had decided to pick up a few tricks and trades in their old man' library and study figuring his jutsu would all be safely behind numerous reinforced blood seals. They were correct on all points. When they got there, they saw a large chakra dome covering the compound and upon closer inspection they found it was actually a bubble keeping the basement safe from tunnellers.

The brothers walked forward and applied their blood to the seal on the exterior gate and, in a puff of smoke, the gates opened letting them through and just as quickly the gate closed behind them and resealed itself. They entered the compound and found a portrait of their parents together while Kushina was still in the early stages of her pregnancy.

"Wow mom really was beautiful," Naruto said with tears in his eyes

"Don't worry bro one day we'll see them again on the other side," Natsu said trying to cheer Naruto up

"But not too soon, Believe it," Naruto whispered with a small smile as he wiped the tears from his eyes

They began to explore the large compound which consisted of four bedrooms three and a half bathrooms, a spacious kitchen with attached dining room, a large living room with multiple bookshelves for pleasure reading, an enormous dojo with everything a young shinobi would need to train, and finally in the basement the brothers found a library filled with different jutsu of all five base elements and non-elemental jutsu galore.

They found their father' notes on several jutsu including one that sounded simple enough, the Rasengan and the jutsu that made their father 'The Yellow Flash of Konoha' the Hiraishin and the 'Second Step Maneuver' and some tips on creating their own 'Shiki Fuin'. They also found books and scrolls on the Uzumaki clan' history, Fuuinjutsu, and Kenjutsu.

"I can't believe Dad had all of this hidden away!" Natsu said getting more and more excited with every new scroll.

"I know but we can't learn it all today," Naruto said sadly

"Unless we use our clones slowly over the next week while we do physical training around the village," Natsu said smirking while he read through the Hiraishin scrolls. They explained the needed components for the formula seal making it child' play for even an apprentice sea master to make. Natsu quickly wrote out his own technique formula on the floor next to Naruto and walking across the room,

"Hiraishin!" Natsu shouted and in a flash of red light he was gone before he reappeared on the seal he drew slapping a hand down onto Naruto' shoulder, "Especially with this although the Second Step Maneuver may take some practice,"

Naruto' eyes widened witnessing his brother using the Hiraishin so easily and so soon after seeing it. He then reached over and scanned the scrolls before creating his own technique formula from the tips in the scroll and placing it on the ground below using his chakra. Naruto walked across the room and in a yellow flash appeared on his formula beside Natsu feeling a bit dizzy.

"How are you not dizzy from that shit?" Naruto asked as he got his bearings

"I am I think we just need to practice more," Natsu said looking at Naruto' formula, which was a string of Kanji like their father' which made the technique more efficient than the original pictograph used by Tobirama Senju,

"I guess you're right but how will this help us get through all of these scrolls?" Naruto asked in confusion as the dizziness faded

"We'll leave twenty clones each and have them read the information before dispelling away," Natsu explained, "By leaving our seals here we can just pop back in past the barrier and create more as needed,"

"Brilliant since this jutsu sends us through that dimensional rift we bypass the space occupied by the barrier never even touching it!" Naruto gawked impressed by the idea and by the use of the techniques in conjunction

"Now based on these notes for Dad' Rasengan it was never completed," Natsu said scanning the documents with his Dojutsu, "He used a change in form to create the ball of spinning swirling chakra pushing change in chakra form to the limit but he never added a nature manipulation to the mix,"

"Sweet that means we can finish Dad' jutsu!" Naruto shouted happily

"Believe It!" Natsu shouted with a grin before making a cross shape with his fingers Naruto following along

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" they shouted together creating twenty clones a piece before exiting the compound and leaving to train themselves into the ground for the next two months

"We should go place an order for some custom kunai like dad had," Naruto said with a smile

"Yeah, plus with these ingots from Gato' vault they will be incredibly durable and conductive for the seal," Natsu agreed

 **Hey guys hope you enjoyed the chapter sorry for all the filler but I thought it necessary. I will begin the actual tests and fun next chapter, Believe IT! (^-^)/**

 **In regard to season three after the Sasuke escape I don't know what to add in. I want you guys to comment any arcs of that season that I Should go through top votes get in anything below five won't go unless preordained.**

 **Hope You enjoy! (^-^)/**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey guys I'm back again and ready for the tests! Today we start the Chuunin exams! If any of you care I still need a Kiba pairing for my fic that I can introduce soon. Anyway Hope you all enjoy this chapter as much as the others! And special Thanks to Vulcran for letting me use his OC's for the new Team 5!**

 **Also I would like to give a special thanks to Harutora75. I read your' Highschool DxD Gamer fic, the original, and was loving it. In it you mention the Chinese katana, a Jian, that is the sword type I used for Sasuke' sword but I could never find a conclusive name.**

 **It is one of my favorite variations of the sword so I am changing Natsu' katana to a Jian with the kanji for 'Nine' on one side of the guard and the Uzumaki swirl on the other. Otherwise it looks and works the same.**

 **Chapter 11: Training days: The Chunin Exams: Snake in the Grass!**

 **~ 1 Week Later: With Team 7: Konoha Business District~**

Kakashi had been training Sakura and Sasuke relentlessly over the last week and had finally decided that they were ready to have their weapons forged by his old friend and preferred blacksmith. Kakashi lead Sasuke and Sakura through the business district of Konoha, weaving between shops and people. The streets were bustling with civilians and shinobi alike going from store to store buying new equipment and supplies. People were walking around and laughing with their friends as they went about their days. Kakashi lead his students behind one of the larger shops to a back street which held several other shops. Unlike the other shops throughout the rest of the business district these shops seemed more disheveled and plain. They approached a shop toward the middle the sign above the door was a simple wood sign with the picture of a dagger with a crack in the center.

"Kakashi-sensei, is this really the place?" Sakura asked a bit too loudly

"Yes, Sakura, this is the best weapon' shop in the village it's also the least well known," Kakashi said while patting her shoulder

"Think of this place like a trade secret of the better shinobi in the village," Kakashi said with a small shushing motion before he held the door for his two students

They entered the shop and found that the interior was kept much nicer than the exterior. The walls and floor were made from a dark polished wood. To the left of the door there were rows and rows of cases filled to the brim with various types of swords, spears, Bo staffs, chain based weapons, and other various weapons. Along the back wall were barrels filled to the brim with shuriken, kunai, senbon, and practice swords. To their right were racks of fashionably functional armored clothes made of special materials for shinobi but still looked like normal clothing. Straight across the large showroom of the shop was a counter with a curtained doorway behind it.

Sitting behind the counter was a petit young Genin with brown hair, worn in a twin bun style, and brown eyes. She wore a pink Chinese style sleeveless blouse with red ties and seams and a pair of green blue pants. She had a bored expression on her face which brightened up when the door opened.

"Hello welcome to the Broken Dagger, I'm Tenten, how may I help you?" Tenten said with a small smile glad for the distraction in the slow store

"Yo, is Ken-san in?" Kakashi replied

"Yeah, Dad's just in the back I'll go get him for you, Kakashi-sensei," Tenten replied cheerfully before she turned to the curtain

"Dad! We got some customers up here!" Tenten shouted into the back room

From behind the curtain there was a loud crash before several sharp clangs were heard, as though someone had knocked over a table of weapons, along with several curses before a large masculine man came from behind the curtain. He stood tall over even Kakashi with large muscular arms gained from countless hours at the forge. He looked to be in his mid to late forties and had nicely tanned skin from the extreme heat of the forge with several scars along his arms and one across his left eye, which still looked functional. He had a short trimmed blond beard and short cropped pale blonde hair. The man looked down at Sakura and Sasuke with an appraising look before turning to Kakashi.

"So, these are the students that finally passed your' little 'Bell Test', they don't seem like much," Ken said

"Their skills far exceed their appearance," Kakashi replied with an eye smile before placing a hand on each of their shoulders

"We received some special materials on our last mission and were hoping you would be able to forge these two some custom weapons, before the end of June?" Kakashi asked

"I guess I can but it won't be cheap even with you supplying the materials," Ken replied with a stern look as he lightly glared at the two Genin

"We can take care of it, what about our time constraint?" Kakashi asked while leaning on the counter

"That depends on what you want me to make but, it should be simple enough," Kiritsugu said turning to the now nervous Sakura

"What do you want me to make you and what are the materials, Pinky?" Ken asked while leaning forward to be more eye level with Sakura

"I want a Bo staff made from this, Ken-san," Sakura said respectfully, and a bit miffed at the comment, while she pulled a storage scroll from her pouch. She unrolled the scroll and pulsed some chakra through the sealing array before a large ingot of extremely pure chakra metal burst from the scroll in a cloud of smoke

Ken and Tenten stared wide eyed at the large ingot of rare allow with their jaws almost touching the counter top. Ken was the first to snap out of his stupor before turning to look Sakura over. He brought a hand to his chin before saying, "Fine then, do you want it to be collapsible or soilid?"

"What is the difference, other than storage?" Sakura asked feeling less nervous around the titan of a blacksmith

"The collapsible variants tend to be lighter but are less durable than the solid style," Ken replied with a small smile

"I would like a solid one then can't have it break on me during the exams," Sakura said with a thoughtful smile

"And you, Uchiha-san?" Ken asked turning to Sasuke

"I was thinking that a Nodachi would be best so I could use a duel-wielding style," Sasuke replied before pulling out his own ingot of chakra metal

"I guess that will work," Ken replied after a moment of pause at seeing yet another ingot, "I can have both done in two weeks it will cost you about 50,000 Ryo for the staff and another 60,000 Ryo for the Nodachi, is that agreeable?" Ken asked looking at Team 7

Before Sasuke and Sakura could try to haggle with the man Kakashi raised a hand, "That is agreeable I will cover what my students can't," Sakura and Sasuke just pulled out the total both still looking upset and grumbling about the price of the weapons.

"Oh goody, I don't have to spend as much as I thought I would!" Kakashi cheered seeing the Genin pay the total, "Thank you Ken-san, by the way, have the Uzumaki brothers been through yet?"

"No, I take it they will have a similar order ready?" Ken replied getting the faintest twitch from Tenten as she forced herself not to look at her father

"Most likely they are doing private training before the exams so I can focus on these two," Kakashi explained

"Where did you get these ingots?" Tenten asked after her moment passed

"On our last mission. We took down a corrupt billionaire who was destabilizing a small nation' economy, legally but he only got the deeds to the ports through illegal means," Sasuke explained with irritation at the memory of the man

"So cool! My first C-Rank was just a simple escort and guard mission," Tenten whined

"So was ours," Sakura said smugly

"No way! How did it turn out like that then?" Tenten interjected

"The client lied and made an A-Rank sound like a C-Rank which was given to us," Sakura replied, "And we totally kicked ass!"

"You mean your' teammates 'kicked ass' while you stood back and guarded the client in all three major fights," Kakashi deadpanned

"Well that's why we're doing extra training these next two months, so I won't freeze up or be a burden!" Sakura shot back with fire

"That's right I also talked to my friend at the hospital you are interning there on weekends to learn some basic medical ninjutsu," Kakashi eye smiled

"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei and thank you Ken-san!" Sakura cheered while jumping up and down, " _Cha! We won't lose_!"

"You two just be back here in two weeks, got it?" Ken asked receiving a nod from each

"Thanks again, Ken-san" Kakashi said with a wave as the three left the store

"Dad, why didn't you tell them that Naruto and Natsu came last week and placed their orders?" Tenten asked with a frown of confusion

"I didn't think it relevant besides they still know those boys are picking up an order they just don't know what or when," Ken chuckled mirthfully

"I guess you have a point," Tenten sighed before she looked at the clock,

"Crap! Is it that late already? I gotta go Dad or I'll be late for my Kenjutsu lesson with Natsu and Zabuza-san!" Tenten cheered with a near fangirlish quality

"Just be careful I know how you get around famous weapons," Ken sighed with a small headache, "Mind delivering the order since you're meeting with them anyway?"

"No problem, pops!" Tenten cheered before taking a parcel from her father and sprinting out the door shouting a cheery 'Luv yah' over her shoulder

"That girl, what am I gonna do with her?" Ken mused with a soft smile before he set a bell and sign on the counter 'Ring for Service' and heading back to the forge

 **~Six Weeks Later: Random Bridge in Konoha~**

Sakura and Sasuke were waiting at the bridge for their ever-late Sensei and for their absent teammates, who had been training alone the last two months for the upcoming Chunin Exams, which were a mere week away.

Sakura was wearing a dress similar to her usual one but was slightly shorter, coming down to her mid-thigh rather than her midcalf, and was without sleeves. She also wore a pair of tight black shorts, a Kunai/Shuriken holster attached to her right leg with bandages, and her red leather armor from their mission to the land of waves now emblazoned with her clan symbol on all four pieces. In the clan symbol of the right gauntlet was an additional quick draw storage seal holding her custom Bo staff.

Sasuke wore his usual high collar blue shirt, white shorts with a holster on his right leg, white arm covers, and carried his 'Dragon' Fang' on his back for easy access and quick draws while on his left hip was his shorter custom Nodachi, with a simple no guard design. He glanced to his left when he felt an abnormal breeze and suddenly behind him squatting on the bridge' hand rail was Naruto.

Naruto was wearing black ninja pants and sandals with his holster on his right thigh, a chainmail shirt underneath a black T-shirt with orange vertical stripes along the sides leaving the middle black with his Kodachi on his back set horizontally along his waist so the handle was to his right side. Over this he wore an open, black, trench coat that reached his knees with orange shoulders and flames along the bottom. On the back was the kanji for nine in black on an orange Uzumaki spiral.

Sasuke' eyes widened and he jumped back at Naruto' sudden appearance, only for him to bump into someone else. Sasuke quickly turned to see the smiling goofy face of Natsu Uzumaki.

Natsu was wearing a pair of black ninja pants and sandals with his weapons holster on his right leg. He had on a chainmail shirt beneath a red T-shirt with black vertical stripes along the sides ending at the chest and black sleeves. He wore an open, white, trench coat with red shoulders, chest and flames along the bottom edge. On the back was the kanji for nine atop a red Uzumaki spiral only obstructed by his katana, which he wore vertically on his back slightly tilted to the right.

"Easy Sasuke-san it's just me and Naruto," Natsu said trying to calm his teammate who had just drawn a kunai from his pouch ready to throw it

"Damn it!" Sasuke roared before putting away the kunai and placing a hand to his chest, "Where do you get off startling me like that!?"

"At that reaction, and at finding out you are a normal 14 year old clan head," Naruto began to list while smiling

"Sorry though we never expected to startle you with a Shunshin no Jutsu, much," Natsu said pulling out a two prong kunai that had a thin space between the blades and a string of kanji written across the handle, "Here take this as an apology,"

"Why would I want some stupid kunai of your'?" Sasuke sneered glaring at the gift

"Because it is special and rare and a gift so don't be rude it will only hurt your' pride to not accept," Natsu said with a small glare as he pulled another one out

"Here Sakura I made you one too," Natsu said as she and Sasuke took them, "You see they act as a signal that tells me when you are in trouble or need a quick exit so to speak,"

"Here I got one for you guys too," Naruto said with a foxy grin pulling out a three pronged kunai for each of them which his teammates also accepted

"Thanks you guys!" Sakura chirped appreciating the small gifts

"Not like I would need your' help but, thanks for the gift" Sasuke scoffed with a small smirk as he looked at the kunai

"I see you two are the same as ever," Kakashi said as he arrived at the scene before seeing the three pronged kunai in Naruto' hands, "Naruto, where did you get these?"

"They were the weapons I had special ordered with the ingot I got, don't worry though I had a couple hundred made since the blades are so small that ingot stretched pretty far," Naruto said noticing how Sasuke and Sakura were now examining their own

"I see, "Kakashi said understanding the hidden meaning, " _So, they went and figured out that jutsu. Minato-sensei you should be proud_ ,"

"So, you guys really did get stronger in these last two months," Kakashi said eye smiling while he pulled out four slips of paper, "Now these are your' entrance forms to take part in the Chuunin exams bring them to room 301 in the academy by three o'clock this Friday that gives you four days to decide if you want to participate or not,"

Kakashi looked at his students and saw nothing but fierce determination and a thirst to compete.

"That's what I like to see!" Kakashi said, "Now, usually only teams of three are allowed to participate in the exams but the Hokage pulled some strings with the other participating villages and got the participating Kage to let you four participate as a team,"

The, for now, Genin of Team 7 let out sighs of relief at that knowing they wouldn't be barred from taking the test due to their slight numbers advantage.

"So, that's it then?" Sakura asked curiously

"Yup you all have the week off to prepare for the exams," Kakashi said with an eye smile,

" _I can't wait to see Iruka' face when my students enter_ ," Kakashi thought thinking back to earlier that day

 **~Flashback: Genin Selection: Hokage' Office~**

The Jonin of the Hidden Leaf were gathered in the Hokage' office patiently awaiting the arrival of one Kakashi Hatake. They were waiting apprehensively wondering what was so important that the Hokage had to bring all of his Jonin in for a meeting as a group. Except for several Jonin like Kurenai Yuhi, Asuma Sarutobi, or Hana Inuzuka, who had known for the past two months of the impending Chuunin Exams and had been steadily upping the training of their Genin squads.

Was it ethical for them to not inform the remaining Jonin sensei, no, but whoever accused Ninja of having ethics in such matters. By keeping quiet they gave their students an edge above the rest. While the three thought over the last two months of training they put their Genin through, sporting Anko-esque grins at some parts, Kakashi walked in.

"Sorry I'm late I got lost on the path of life," Kakashi said with an eye smile and wave

"Sure, make it a point to consider these meetings missions from now on and show them the same respect," the Sandaime said from behind his desk a moderate sized crystal ball sat on a pillow before him it glowed softly but held nothing but smoke

"Now that everyone is here we may begin," the Hokage began clearing his throat lightly, "I have called you all here because in one week, on the first of July, the Chuunin Exams will begin,"

" _I'm glad Natsu told Ino about the exams no way we'd have been prepared for them otherwise,_ " Asuma thought thinking of how frail Ino was, how lazy Shikamaru is, and all the eating Choji did every mission, " _I just hope that training was enough_ ,"

" _Hinata is lucky Naruto heard about the exams so long ago_ ," Kurenai thought with a smirk, " _Otherwise they might not have been ready but after the Mitarashi hell I threw 'em through they can survive anything_ ,"

" _I really gotta thank thank those two for helping my Akiro and Koneko with those seals and for bringing Haku in otherwise we wouldn't even be able to participate this time_ ," Hana thought with a smirk, " _That girl is a sponge for medical ninjutsu and she gets along so well with the others_ ,"

Most of the Jonin sensei in the room began to panic and complain about the short notice of the exams or at how unprepared their Genin were. Hiruzen paid them no head and instead took notice of the five Jonin Sesnsei standing directly before him. Their posture confident, their eyes unwavering

" _They_ _aren't_ _even_ _worried_ ," Hiruzen thought with a smile, " _Good_ "

"Be quiet! If your' teams aren't prepared too bad! You should have been training them instead of goofing off!" Hiruzen shouted earning the attention of the room and instantly quieting the whiners he called Jonin, "I didn't call you hear to tell you about the exams alone I also want the names of the participating Genin from our own village,"

The Jonin who were previously whining stepped back and looked to each other while five Jonin remained where they stood and began stepping forward toward the Hokage.

"Kurenai Yuhi, Jonin sensei of Team 8, Shino Aburame, Kiba Inuzuka, and Hinata Hyuuga," Kurenai said with a deep conviction, "I recommend all three for the exams!"

"Asuma Sarutobi, Jonin sensei of Team 10, Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akamichi," Asuma said with authority, "I recommend all three for the exams,"

"Maito Gai, Jonin sensei of Team 10, Rock Lee, Neji Hyuuga, and Tenten," Gai began with his patented 'Nice Guy' pose and a thumb raised, "I recommend all three for the Chuunin Exams so that they may let their FLAMES OF YOUTH shine bright in front of the whole village!"

"Kakashi Hatake, Jonin sensei for Team 7, Naruto Uzumaki, Natsu Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, and Sasuke Uchiha," Kakashi said in his normal Anbu monotone but with pride in each word, "I recommend all four for the Chuunin Exams,"

"Hana Inuzuka, Jonin sensei of Team 5, Akiro Okami, Koneko Okami, and Haku Momochi," Hana said with a smile as she counted of on her fingers, "I recommend all three for the Chuunin Exams,"

All around them the Jonin began to rustle and stir hushed whispers passed around the room as the names were called.

"All thirteen rookies and Gai' team were recommended," One jonin whispered in shock

"They can't be ready!" One shouted, "Can they?"

"That means the demon brats and those two spies are being moved up in the world," one said darkly turning to his neighbor, "That can't end well soon enough Suna will be at our gates and those demons tearing 'em down,"

The Jonin suddenly fell to the floor clutching his chest, which had a kunai buried hilt deep in it, and fell as his eyes slowly faded

"Remember the law even here and amongst your' peers," the Hokage said coldly his arm straight and pointing toward the former Jonin, "Or meet the same fate,"

"Those boys are just boys and the Okami are not spies they are great assets to the Village," Hiruzen said with a kind voice until, "So, I don't want to hear any talk of spies or demons, Got it!"

"Yes, Hokage-Sama!" the entire room bellowed the dead man forgotten but the lesson stuck

"Good now you are dismissed," the Hokage said pulling out his pipe and leaning back

"Hold On!" a voice called from the back

"Yes," Hiruzen responded curious as to what could be wrong

From the back Iruka Umino walked up having heard all the names mentioned by the five Jonin sensei. He walked into the middle of the room and slammed his hands on the table.

"Lord Third I know every name that was just called if not from my own class then from the files and report of my fellow Academy instructors," Iruka began with worry in his voice, "Most of them were my students at the Academy and I know better than anyone what they are capable of. They just can't be ready."

Iruka had a worried look across his face and his eyes filled with seriousness. He turned when someone cleared their throat.

"Yeah hi," Kakashi began getting Iruka'attention,

"You see that's the problem you knew them," Kakashi said emphasizing the word 'knew', "They are all different people from their days at the academy,"

"They have grown stronger, more confident, and aren't your' students anymore. They're ours now," Kakashi said motioning to the other four Jonin with him,

"So, don't come in here and try to tell us you know better after all we have been through these last six months!" Kakashi said glaring at Iruka, who glared right back, spark flying between them

"Stop it both of you!" the Hokage snapped, "I swear you all act more like children than the actual children somedays,"

"Fine we will have a test for Team 7 if they pass then all thirteen rookies may participate Gai' team, having trained an extra year for this, is excluded and approved already," the Hokage said with finality daring anyone to defy his commands

"Iruka you may test them however you see fit. Now everyone leave and those in charge of the rookies don't mention this test to any of them," Hiruzen said puffing on his pipe

 **~Present Time~**

"So, that's it then?" Sakura asked curiously

"Yup you all have the week off to prepare for the exams. Just be at the academy room 301 by 3pm this Friday," Kakashi said with an eye smile,

" _I can't wait to see Iruka' face when my students enter_ ," Kakashi thought thinking back to earlier that day

Hidden in the shadows of the forest stood a single Rain village shinobi with a large straw hat that held his village symbol, a face mask which covered the lower half of his face, blank empty eyes, a rain village issue gray jumpsuit and a poncho consisted of his outfit finished by a weapons pouch on his right hip, gray boots and gloves, and an umbrella on his back. He watched with glee as the Genin of Team 7 split up going in three separate directions.

"Let's see if you are right or just all talk Kakashi," the shinobi snickered menacingly as he dashed off following Sasuke.

 **~Time Skip 10 minutes~**

Sasuke had walked out to training ground 7 where he hoped to confront his wood be pursuer without the collateral damage of the city. Hey he may be the last Uchiha but even he can't burn down a house for no good reason.

"I know you're there," Sasuke said in a casual voice with an annoyed glare over his shoulder

"You can come out now I'll only bite a little," The Ame nin gasped when Sasuke spoke,

" _How did he detect me? I was so quiet_ ," the Rain shinobi thought as he came out of the bushes

"What do you want with me?" Sasuke asked coldly cracking his knuckles to intimidate his opponent

"I hear you're quite the shinobi I wanted to defeat you and prove my village is superior to the mighty Konoha!" the rain ninja cackled as he drew his umbrella and threw it to the sky scattering senbon down "Ninja Art: Needle Rain!" (A/N: not gonna look up every jutsu name)

Sasuke activated his Sharingan and watched the needles fall only to see that they were all illusions. Sasuke smirked and walked forward, his three tomoe spinning faster and faster, "You'll need better illusions than that to best me,"

"It seems I will," the opposing shinobi said before he disappeared in a puff of smoke

"I am definitely going to enter these exams I will make my clan proud!" Sasuke shouted to the skies

" _I guess he is stronger, he passes_ ," Iruka thought dispelling from his Rain Shinobi Henge

 **~Time Skip: With Sakura~**

Sakura was looking out at the village from her bedroom balcony. She had a bright smile on her face and her entrance application in her hand completely filled out.

"I can't wait to test my new strength against shinobi from other villages!" she squealed as a small stone fell to her feet

Sakura looked down at the street to see Sasuke standing there a stone in one hand and a smirk on his face. Sasuke jerked his head toward the road and started walking away. Sakura, getting the hint, quickly followed him to training ground 7 where Iruka was waiting and watching from the shadows.

"So, what did you need to talk to me about Sasuke?" Sakura asked sweetly twirling her hair with her finger

"Saskura, about the exams, I don't want you to enter," Sasuke said genuine concern in his voice and worry strewn across his face, "It will be filled with tough competitors and if something were to happen to you, I don't know what I would do,"

Sasuke turned to Sakura and grabbed her hands lifting them up to his chest, "Please promise me you won't enter,"

"Oh Sasuke-kun," Sakura said with her eyes sparkling with tears of joy at his sweet words

Suddenly from the trees the same Rain Shinobi from earlier appeared and laughed maniacally

"Don't worry about entering the exams," He said as he brought out his umbrella

"You won't be around long enough to participate!" he chuckled throwing the umbrella up into the air, "Ninja Art: Kunai Shower!"

From the umbrella hundreds of kunai fell to the ground Sasuke threw Sakura out of the way and was himself skewered repeatedly by the falling weapons. He slumped to his knees and fell forward motionless, his last breaths already gone.

"No! Sasuke!" Sakura shouted as she ran over and began to sob over him

The rain Shinobi smiled as he turned away only to hear Sakura' sobs turn into a maniacal laugh. Fearing that he had caused her delicate psyche to break the shinobi turned around to see Sakura staring at him confidently with the patented Uchiha smirk on her lips

"You can't fool me with these cheap trick," Sakura said with a deep laugh,

"I mean Sasuke suddenly appearing, taking me somewhere, and acting like he cares?" she laughed harder, "Yeah, right!"

"But then you still followed and came to face me?" the ninja asked perplexed

"For you to know all that about my dreams you had to be watching us a while so I wanted to come find the spy but I guess he already left," Sakura explained

"Are you sure?" the ninja asked smirking with a raised eyebrow

"You're just an illusion so I won't even waste my time with you anymore," Sakura said as she turned around leaving

"Right you are," Iruka said from the shadows of the trees, "Sakura Haruno Passes!"

 **~Time Skip- With the Uzumaki brothers~**

Natsu and Naruto walked off the bridge heading into the village walking through the back alleys. These back alleys were made of rock slabs in a diagonal grid pattern with uneven edges and high wood fences on either side of the path. The brothers had noticed a presence in the forest watching them and the rest of Team 7 from the shadows.

As they walked they kept their guards up while remaining calm and casual. As they continued with seemingly no destination a large box, with a pattern similar to the walkways on it and two eye holes in the front, began following them as well. When the brothers moved forward so did the box and when they stopped so did it.

They turned to each other each sporting wide foxy grins as they suddenly turned and started chasing the box. They cornered the box and it' passengers before it erupted in three large plumes of multi-colored smoke. When the smoke cleared, where the box once stood now sat three academy students all coughing up a lung from the intense smoke.

"I think we used too much gunpowder you guys," one said before he stood straight up and shouted, "Ha boss I knew you were tough but I never expected you to see through my disguise so soon!"

"That was pathetic runt," Naruto said with a deadpan glare,

"Friends of your'?" Natsu asked pointing at the three academy students and smiling at the goggles they were all sporting

"Well the one at the front is Konohamaru, the old man' grandson but not Asuma' kid," Naruto said pointing at the student in front

The boy had on a yellow shirt with a red leaf symbol, grey shorts with blue shinobi sandals, a long blue scarf which reached his feet, and a pair of green goggles holding in his tall brown spikey hair.

"Oh, Right! Guys do the thing!" Konohmaru shouted pointing a finger in the air, "I'm Konohamaru future Hokage of the Konohagakure!"

A young girl rose up and did a small twirl to Konohamaru' left. She wore a pink shirt that reached down to her mid-shin, with ruffles giving it the appearance of a dress, a red vest worn closed over her shirt, and brown pants. She also wore a pair of green goggles with twin-tails of strawberry blonde hair that had gravity defying power as they stood nearly straight up.

"I'm Moegi, the sassiest Kunoichi in school!" Moegi said with a wink while she came up on Konohamaru' left sticking her left arm out

A young boy with a constant runny nose and round lense glasses did a small flip to Konohamaru' right, ending in a dab. He wore a long sleeved blue jacket and tan shorts with blue sandals. He wore green goggles as well with his bowl cut brown hair hanging down framing the lenses.

"I love Algebra! Call me Udon!" Udon shouted jumping over to Konohamaru' right with his arms crossed before he took a huge sniff due to his runny nose

"And together we're Team Konohamaru!" they shouted as one

"Great entrance you three!" Natsu clapped cheering the students on with some light sarcasm,

"I'm Natsu, Naruto' big brother," he said with a wave and a smile

"Whoa boss you never said you had a brother!" Konohamaru shouted incredulously

"You never asked," Naruto said while acting aloof, "So, what did you want?"

"You know why we're here!" Moegi whined

"Yeah, you promised to play ninja with us today!" Konohamaru shouted

"Right, I forgot, I'll get to counting you guys hide," Naruto said with a big grin

But before anyone could move Kiba walked up with his bulky jacket on and his hood up with Akamaru sitting comfortably on top.

"A ninja playing ninja?" Kiba sneered. "That's pathetic! _What does she see in this guy_?"

"Hey, boss, who's this creep?" Konohamaru asked pointing to the scowling Kiba

"Dog breath here is Kiba Inuzuka, heir to the Inuzuka clan, and member of Team 8," Naruto explained with a smile

"Yeah, so who you callin' creep?" Kiba growled at the young boy

"You dog breath," Natsu said with a playful smirk

"And why do you say it's pathetic to play ninja with these kids?" Naruto asked

"I mean it's just so stupid to play at something you are, or in your' case, something you suck at," Kiba said with an arrogant smirk

"Why is it stupid to pass on tips and skills in the form of a fun game?" Natsu asked pulling up a wooden shuriken and throwing it to his left down one alley where it stuck into a wall but also seemed to catch some cloth that wasn't there a moment ago

"Can you tell me, Ame-Nin?" Natsu asked

From behind the cloth the same Rain Ninja that attacked the rest of Team 7 came out kunai in hand.

"How did you know I was there?" the Shinobi asked raising the kunai and getting into a fighting stance

"I could smell the rain on your' clothes," Natsu said with a smirk that would put Itachi to shame

"You can drop the letter opener, Iruka-sensei," Naruto said

"Are you blind dumbass that is clearly a Rain Shinobi even smells like he just came from the rain," Kiba shouted going for his own kunai before Natsu stopped him

"It's a Henge no Jutsu mixed with a Genjutsu that is making you smell the fresh rain of Amegakure where there isn't any," Natsu explained

"Okay, but how do you know it's Iruka-sensei?" Kiba asked and Akamaru whined signaling he was also curious

"I broke the Genjutsu and could smell Iruka-sensei' scent," Naruto explained before he looked back to see the ninja gone without a trace

"What the crap? Where is he?" Kiba shouted while Akamaru sniffed the air but got nothing

"Probably off explaining this preliminary test to the Hokage," Naruto said while he grabbed down the wood shuriken and pocketed the cloth attached, "You never know,"

"So, can we still play?" Udon asked meekly

"Only if you ask with more confidence," Natsu said with a wide grin

"Can we still play?" Udon asked after taking a deep breath and looking Natsu in the eye

"Of course, you know you got some great and strong friends here Konohamaru," Natsu replied

"Yeah, they're pretty alright," Konohamaru said with a proud smirk earning a light blush from Moegi and a smile from Udon

"So, you're playing with them, pathetic," Kiba sneered once more

"Like Natsu said we are helping them hone skills and tactics they may use in missions one day but in the form of a game," Naruto explained growling at Kiba for being so annoyingly stupid

"Here Konohamaru you take this cloth to replace your' craptastic one," Naruto said with a smirk while he handed the procured cloth to the academy student

"Thanks Boss!" Konohamaru cheered while he showed the cloth off to his friends

"Whatever," Kiba sighed while he walked off, " _I'll prove I'm the Alpha during the exams_ ,"

Team Konohamaru then turned and started running away down the different alley ways trying to find a place to hide still in their personal formation with Konohamaru at the front, Moegi on the left, and Udon on the right. As they turned the first corner Konohamaru bumped smack dab into someone.

The guy in question was a kid of fourteen or fifteen wearing a full body black suit with fingerless gloves, black shoes, wrappings on his shins, a half yellow half purple circle on his chest, and the weirdest part, a hood with cat ears that had the Suna headband studded into the hood. He had pale skin and purple makeup around his eyes and on his lips with triangles pointing in towards his mouth on his cheeks and chin and one on his forehead pointing down with two elongated arrows bordering that one, and finally two thin elongated arrows just under his eyes which were nothing more than small black pupils. He had a strange object covered in wrappings on his back.

Next to him stood a girl, roughly the same age, with her sandy blond hair styled in four spikey buns and no makeup and dark teal eyes. She wore a light purple dress, which loosely hung almost at her knees, and showed her shoulder and an orange sash at her waist. Under this she wore a mesh body suit which covered her upper left leg, lower right leg, and full torso and upper arms. She wore her Suna headband loosely around her neck and carried a large fan with her.

What was strange to Natsu and Naruto, since they assumed the pair were here for the Chuunin Exams, was that neither of them had weapons pouches on them.

The catsuit guy was now holding Konohamaru up off the ground by his scarf choking him lightly. Konohamaru struggled punching and kicking the guy wherever he could reach but the Suna-nin just laughed.

"I guess I have to teach you some manners kid," Catsuit guy said with a cold predatory grin

"Let him go Konkuro! We don't want to start any trouble," the girl behind him said glancing over at Natsu and Naruto

"I'm just going to rough him up a bit, Temari," Konkuro snickered

"Fine you're on your' own," Temari sighed in defeat

"Thanks, Temari this won't take long," Konkuro said pulling back his fist his hands were struck with a pair of wooden shuriken, courtesy of Natsu

"What the hell?" Konkuro whined dropping Konohamaru as he checked his hands

"Leave now and you will still be able to participate in the exams," Naruto growled pulling out a three-prong kunai

"Oh, really," Konkuro grinned, "What are you gonna do about it pipsqueak?"

"Kick your' ass you, puppet!" Naruto growled making Konkuro take a step back

"How did you?' Konkuro began but was cut off by a punch to his stomach which sent him back a few feet

"I watched you move and saw the chakra string of your' 'Puppet Master Jutsu' dumbass," Naruto said now standing where Konkuro had been

"One of my best friends is quite proficient in the art and you pale in comparison," Naruto smirked

"Oooh I don't think Ichi there is too happy with how his siblings are doing against us," Natsu said pointing to a boy of fourteen standing up-side down from a tree branch

The boy had blood red hair and the kanji for 'Love' tattooed on the right side of his forehead. He had cold emotionless peridot eyes. He wore a brown ninja shirt with the sleeves rolled up to reveal a chainmail under shirt, brown pants and shoes with wrappings up his lower shins. He wore a white scarf over his right shoulder and a brown leather strap over his left shoulder, his headband tied tightly at the bottom of the strap. Connected to the leather strap, hanging from his back, was a large gourd with strange symbols written around the base.

" _How did they know?"_ Konkuro and Temari thought as their backs stiffened

"Konkuro, you disgrace the village," the boy began coldly

"Oh, hey Gaara how you doin'?" Konkuro asked back sheepishly while sweating bullets

"Let's leave before I kill you," Gaara said coldly

"Of course," Temari and Konkuro said together while they ran off, presumably toward their Inn

" _Those two were pretty hot_ ," Temari thought as she left looking back at the brothers

"Mother says you' strong what are your' names?" Gaara said with no emotion but demanding all the same

"I'm Natsu and this is my brother Naruto," Natsu began

"How do you know about Mother?" Gaara asked glaring at the brothers

"We have demons just like you," Naruto said with a glare

"We just have better seals," Natsu said motioning to the right half of his forehead

Gaara smirked and disappeared in a sand Shunshin leaving the Uzumaki brothers with three very terrified Academy students.

"We're going home now," Konohamaru said shaking

"You want us to walk you all home?" Naruto asked giving them all a big smile

"Yes, please" they all said slightly ashamed of their fears

"Okay let's head out! This is an A-Rank escort mission you three and Naruto are assigned to escort me, the Fire Daimayo, around town," Natsu said with playful superiority sticking his nose up and tenting his hand on his chest

His gesture had the desired effect as each of them took out wooden kunai or shuriken and got into a Mangi Formation around him

"We won't let you down, sir!" the students shouted with wide grins

 **~Time Skip: Hokage' Office~**

Iruka arrived in the middle of the Hokage' office via puff of smoke. Behind the Hokage' desk sat Hiruzen and to his right stood Kakashi, who was eye smiling like a loon.

"So, how did the test go?" Hiruzen asked with a smirk as his hands left his crystal ball, " _Those boys really are quite special,_ "

"They all passed with flying colors showing incredible skill," Iruka said dejectedly, "you were right Kakashi they were like different people in a fight,"

"Then all thirteen rookies are approved to enter the upcoming Chunin exams," the Hokage decreed with a smile, "So, who did the best?"

"Natsu and Naruto," Iruka said surprising both the Hokage and Kakashi

"The two of them figured out it was me and saw through my sensory Genjutsu and my Henge no Jutsu," Iruka began still shocked

"They even used it as a teaching moment for some of my students and Kiba who was just nearby harassing the others about 'playing ninja' with the academy students," Iruka said beaming

"What kind of training have they undergone?" the Hokage whispered loud enough to be heard

"Honesty they have been training apart from the team, these last two months, because they heard about the exams and wanted to leave me free to train Sasuke and Sakura so they could be ready," Kakshi admitted sheepishly

" _So much like their father_ ," Hiruzen thought with a grin

"Of course, they did they are such kind boys even after all the hell they've been through," Hiruzen said fondly with a sad tone

"I even watched them quell the effects of the intense bloodlust that Gaara boy had on my grandson and his friends," Hiruzen said fondly

"How so, Hokage-sama?" Kakashi asked with a raised eyebrow

"They kept up the game making taking the kids home an A-Rank escort of the Daimayo, Natsu, by Naruto and his 'Genin' team to each of their homes," the Hokage smiled

"That sounds just like them. They never could let anyone stay sad long," Kakashi smiled

"They have become much stronger in two months from whatever training they endured," Iruka said smiling

 **~Time Skip: Konohagakure Ninja Academy: Friday, 2:30 pm~**

Sasuke and Sakura stood outside the academy waiting impatiently for Naruto and Natsu. Sakura was wearing her summer outfit with her shin and arm guards while Sasuke still wore his normal clothes and had his swords secured to his body. They both looked behind themselves when they felt a strong breeze. Behind them stood Naruto and Natsu both wearing their new outfits with their blades secured the same.

"Sorry we're late I wanted to make sure I had enough provisions for us during the survival challenge," Natsu explained clapping his hands together and lowering his head in an apologetic manner which Naruto was mirroring

"It's fine, let's just get in there and turn in our forms," Sakura sighed while Sasuke grunted

Inside the building, Team 7 made their way up the first flight of stair, reaching the second floor, where they found a large group of Genin standing outside the door to room 201. All of them were shouting and pushing forward trying to get in. One guy, in a green jumpsuit with straight black shiny bowl cut hair and enormous bushy eyebrows was knocked back and onto the floor sporting a fresh bruise.

A familiar young girl with dark brown eyes and hair, worn in twin buns, knelt down and helped Bushy brow up. She was wearing a pink Chinese style sleeveless shirt with red ties and trim and blue ninja pants, and sandals.

She looked up to the two 'Genin' blocking the door and said, "What's wrong with you we just want to get inside and turn in our applications?"

"If you can't get passed us then you don't deserve to take the exams," the 'Genin' on the right taunted. He wore his headband as a bandana holding his long brown hair out of his eyes. He had a gray sleeveless shirt with a high collar on over a black long sleeve and had black ninja pants.

Next to him was another boy with black spiky hair that shot out wildly within his basic headband. He had an orange nose slits for eyes and several pieces of tape on parts of his face. He wore an almost identical outfit but also had a scarf around his neck and a sword at his right shoulder.

"Trust us," the second boy said, "If you can't see through this you won't last a minute in the rest of the exams,"

Sasuke was smirking and moved forward but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. Sasuke turned to the owner of said appendage who was dumb enough to touch, let alone try and stop, the last Uchiha. When he turned, he saw Natsu shaking his head while making a shushing gesture.

"I know but, in this situation the best slink by like true shinobi and let the blind stumble around," Natsu said once they reached the stairs

Sasuke turned back and continued up the next flight of stairs, annoyed by Natsu and his advice knowing full well that he was right none the less. As they neared the stairs the boy in the green jumpsuit walked up and shouted to the group.

"WAIT SASUKE UCHIHA!" the Genin called

"What now?" Sasuke growled in annoyance

"I am Rock Lee a member of Team 9 and I would like to challenge you to a fight right here and now!" Lee cheered until he saw Sakura at which point he took her hand

"Sakura Haruno, will you become my girlfriend?" Lee asked with his 'Nice Guy' smile and a small glint of his teeth, "If you do I swear I will always protect you,"

" _You saw the glint, right_?" Natsu asked in his mind

" **Unfortunately** ," Kurama-Yin muttered, " **Are you excited about these exams**?"

" _You bet I get to show off and so does Naruto_!" Natsu cheered giving the chakra beast a mental thumbs up

"I'm sorry Lee you're sweet and all but I just don't want a boyfriend right now," Sakura said sweetly lying through her teeth, " _At least not one like you, Cha_!"

"I see, then I will wait until the day you are," Lee said before bowing to Sakura and turning to Sasuke "And about my challenge?"

"I would rather not waste the energy defeating you," Sasuke said turning his head and making a shew motion towards Lee

"I can assure you I am no weakling," Lee said punching forward and making Sasuke jump

"I see," Sasuke said grinning, "This might be fun,"

The two began trading blows in the middle of the hall. Sasuke had his Sharingan blazing but was still being struck. Lee would throw a punch and at the last second change the trajectory and get around Sasuke' guard. Sasuke would throw a punch and be caught by Lee who would follow up with punches to the face or torso. Sasuke was thrown into the air by a high kick from Lee who then released his bandages and came up behind Sasuke poking him in the back to stay in alignment with Sasuke for the next attack.

"The Dancing Leaf Shadow?" Sasuke whispered in alarm

"I was saving the debut of this most youthful technique for someone else, but you'll do nicely, my youthful opponent, YOSH!" Lee said as his bandages began wrapping around Sasuke only to be pinned to a nearby wall by a metal pinwheel toy

In a puff of smoke a large red turtle appeared in the middle of the room with a Konoha headband around his neck.

"Lee, do you know what you were doing? That is a forbidden technique!" the turtle shouted at the Genin

"Yes sir, I understand I just wanted to prove myself to Sakura by beating Sasuke," Lee defended his head low in shame and his bandages still unraveled

"Are you ready for your' punishment?" the turtle asked receiving a nod from Lee

"Then please welcome the incredible Gai-Sensei!" the turtle shouted and on his back appeared Maito Gai

"It's like a carbon copy of Lee," Naruto gawked

" **But with bigger eyebrows** ," Kurama-Yang winced

"Lee, I am very disappointed in you, what you did was most un-youthful!" Gai said scoldingly with a serious tone, "The springtime of your' youth is not for petty differences but instead to forge bonds of comradery and rivalries that will make you stronger and bring you one step closer to your' goal of becoming a truly Splendid Shinobi!"

"Right Gai-Sensei!" Lee shouted crying anime tears

"Now remember this is punishment but I still care," Gai said before pulling back his fist and punching Lee hard square in the chin sending the Genin spinning

"Gai-Sensei," Lee whined still with anime waterfall tears

"Lee," Gai cried with his own waterfall tears

"Gai-Sensei!"

"Lee!"

The two embraced crying into each other' shoulders while a sunset could be seen behind them as though they were sitting on the beach before it.

Everyone around them instantly went and tried to break the 'Genjutsu' their eyes burning from any exposure.

"Release," Natsu said flaring his chakra to no avail

" **Why didn't it work**?" Kurama-Yin shouted even his eyes being destroyed by the unbreakable 'Genjutsu', " **At least turn around!"**

Natsu turned and saw the rest of his team in the same predicament and began to snicker at them.

After a few minutes, Gai and Lee separated and wiped away their tears and turned to Team 7.

"I'm sorry for my pupil' rudeness," Gai offered to Sasuke

"It doesn't matter besides I could have declined his offer," Sasuke replied evenly surprising everyone around them

"Sasuke-san from now on you and I are eternal rivals and with you two as well!" Lee shouted turning to Natsu and Naruto

"Why us? What did we do?" Naruto asked whining like he was being punished

"You two saw through the Genjutsu on the door and all of my attacks," Lee explained his eyes almost literally ablaze with his 'Flames of Youth'

"Well, it was pretty easy with you having those weights attached and all," Natsu explained

"Yeah, you were moving like an Academy student against that snail, Believe It!" Naruto said motioning toward Sasuke, who grunted indignantly, while Sakura tried and failed to punch Naruto in the head for insulting her 'Sasuke-kun'

"I guess you are right," Lee began, astonished by how observant the brothers were, "I still will train to defeat you all and my teammate Neji Hyuuga,"

At that two more Genin walked one was the familiar girl who had come to Lee' aid the other was a new face. He had long dark brown, almost black, hair with the Hyuuga' Byakugan eyes. He wore his headband over a leather band on his forehead. He had a white shirt with clasps up the right side and wrappings up his right arm. He wore a pair of dark blue shorts with a weapons holster and wrappings on his right leg. He simply smirked like an arrogant prick when he saw how easily Lee had defeated Sasuke.

"Hey guys, how's it going with your' new weapons?" Tenten asked as when she got closer

"It's great Tenten-chan, tell your' Dad thanks from all of us when you get a chance," Sakura said with a happy smile with approving nods from her teammates

"Will do, he loves getting praise for his work!" Tenten chirped with a giddy smile

"I may come in next week, after we get through the second part of the exams, and get some more kunai made," Naruto said with a grin

"I'll keep that in mind, Naruto," Tenten said happily before her Hyuuga teammate interrupted the conversation, like a prick

"So, you're the great Sasuke Uchiah, you aren't much, are you?" Neji snickered before he noticed Naruto standing with Natsu

"And you're the one who has been dating Lady Hinata, Naruto was it?" Neji said pointing a finger at Naruto

"Yeah that's me," Naruto said with a goofy grin, "I hope she is entering this time,"

"She already went up," Lee said matter-o-factly

"Great then we should all get up there before registration closes," Sakura said becoming fed up with all the polite conversation and giving off a deadly aura

"Yes, well see you all after the exam remember LET YOUR' FLAMES OF YOUTH BURN BRIGHTLY!" Guy encouraged while he ran off

"Well, let's go!" Natsu cheered leading the seven Genin charge up the stairs

When they arrived at the third floor they found themselves in a long hallway with a set of large oak double doors at the end. Standing beside the doors reading his favorite orange book stood Kakashi who put away the book at the Genin' arrival.

"I see you four met Guy-sensei and his team," Kakashi said coolly

"He's a bit eccentric I just hope you didn't see the Genjutsu," Kakashi continued seeing his Genin' mortified looks he knew

"Well don't think about that now just remember that you are all strong and will make it through these trials!" Kakashi said encouraging his Genin with an eye smile

"Thanks, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura said beaming, " _Cha, we got this_!"

"Yeah, we will graduate as Chunin, Believe It!" Naruto shouted with a fist in the air

"I know just do your best and if you do fail we can always just train harder for next time," Kakashi said smiling at the students

"We'll graduate no sweat, Bet on It!" Nastu shouted following his younger brother' example with his own fist in the air

"The Dobes are right no one here is really a challenge," Sasuke said confidently

"Then why did Lee knock you across the room earlier," Tenten asked with a smirk

"Who said I was going all out, your' friend isn't the only one who wears weight you know," Sasuke said with an Uchiha smirk causing Tenten' smirk to drop slightly

Kakashi nodded and disappeared in a puff of smoke smiling at his team one last time. The seven Genin walked forward and opened the doors into the next room. Inside there were almost a hundred teams from all over the continent. Natsu noticed the team from Sunagakure off in the far corner and in the nearby corner he noticed the rest of Konoha' Rookie candidates. When he looked over all he saw was a glimpse of pale blond hair and then the ceiling of the room as Ino tackle hugged him at blinding speeds.

Natsu looked down to see Ino' smiling face and said, "Guess those training weights worked out,"

"Yeah, they did yah big goof," Ino said smiling

While the two got up they saw a similar situation happening between Hinata and Naruto. Except in that case Naruto was hugging a blushing Hinata.

"Hinata-chan, I'm so glad you're here!" Naruto said with his biggest grin

"Thanks Naruto-kun," Hinata said with a small smile her stutter gone thanks to Naruto' unwavering support and confidence in her over the years

"I'm glad you're here as well Naruto-kun," she said happily hugging him back

"So, were you guys attacked by a Rain village ninja or, not?" Natsu asked holding Ino at the waist signifying their status as a couple

No, none of us were," Ino said thoughtfully

"Same here," Hinata said smiling at Naruto

"Nothing with us," Said a voice from the back of the little gathering

Pushing in past Kiba was another Konoha squad. In front was a young ninja with sand brown hair and deep, almost glowing, blue eyes. He wore black ninja pants with wrapping up from his black shoes to his mid shin and a blue sash belt. He had a thin grey coat with multiple pockets over a black ninja shirt with a deep V shaped collar which revealed a mesh undershirt. He had three small sealing scrolls attached to his sash and a weapons pouch on his left leg.

"Akiro, how's it goin'?" Naruto said bringing the Genin into a headlock

"It's been good Naruto," a female voice said from behind Akiro

Behind Akiro, on his left, stood a girl who looked remarkably similar to the boy. She had sand brown hair, which she wore down and reached her lower back, and bright green eyes. She wore a green kimono style dress, with white trim, that reached to her mid-thigh, over a black T-shirt, which clung nicely to her still developing C cup breasts, and shorts which accentuated her powerful and toned thighs. With a blue sash around her waist and a weapons pouch on her right thigh. She had two sealing scrolls attached to her sash.

"Good to see you again, Koneko," Natsu said waving before Ino elbowed him in the ribs, "What was that for?"

"For gawking at the pretty girl," Ino growled crossing her arms and pouting

"No, Ino-hime, she is just a friend I swear," Natsu pleaded with his most honest look

"Promise?" Ino asked pouting slightly

"Yes, of course!" Natsu cheered

"Yeah Ino Hinata these are good friends of ours Akiro and Koneko Okami," Naruto introduced the Genin squad

"Yo," Akiro said smiling

"So, then who is she?" Ino asked pointing at a second girl who stood on Akiro' right

She had long, sleek, black hair pulled back in a ponytail with bangs framing her face and brown eyes. She wore a blue battle kimono with green and tan accents and several sealing scrolls around her waist and a kunai holster on her left thigh. What she left visible was well toned but slender giving her a balance of speed and power while keeping all the feminine curves in just the right places. Under the dress, she wore a chainmail body suit for added protection. She had a large sword on her back that seemed like a thinner version of the Kubikiribōchō.

"This is my teammate...," Akiro began motioning to the girl

"Haku Momochi, pleasure to meet you all," Haku said with a slight incline of her head and a bright smile

"Right, well nice to meet you," everyone said together

"Are we doing introductions?" came a pleasant voice from behind the group

When everyone turned to face the source they found a girl, about fourteen or fifteen, with a very toned and athletic build, green hair, orange eyes, perfectly tanned skin, wearing a white sleeveless top, that stopped just below her C cup breasts, with a mesh tank top underneath, leaving her flat stomach exposed, a white skirt with mesh armor shorts underneath, detached white sleeves up to her mid bicep with her Takigakure headband worn on her left bicep and a red pouch on her back with straps in an 'X' across her chest and white low-heeled sandals.

"In a manner of speaking, who might you be?" Shino said in his usual monotone but with some intrigue in his posture

"Oh, my name is Fuu! I'm here from Takigakure(Village Hidden in the Waterfall)," Fuu replied with a smile

"I am Shino Aburame, my insects seem excited by you, do you know why?" Shino asked in a curious monotone

At that Fuu' posture became noticeably more guarded and she seemed agitated by something before she smiled at the group and said,"I may know but, I'd rather not say,"

"A shinobi must keep their secrets, eh, Nana-chan?" Natsu asked with a small smirk causing Fuu' eyes to widen

"How?" she growled glaring daggers at Natsu

"Your' friend should know us as Kyu," Naruto replied with a foxy grin causing a small smile to form on Fuu' face, no one noticing the raise to Shino and Shikamaru' eyebrows

" _Kyu? And Nana? What could those numbers mean? And how does she know what he is talking about_ " Shikamaru thought

" _Nana? What does that mean?_ " Shino wondered feeling his insects becoming more agitated before something seemed to click in both the genius' heads simultaneously

" _The Bijuu_!" the two thought giving curious glances to the three Genin

" _She must hold the Nanabi, no wonder my insects are so agitated, that Bijuu is like Kami to them_ ," Shino thought showing no emotion

" _Troublesome, well he hasn't hurt anyone yet, why worry now_ ," Shikamaru thought lazily with a bored expression

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Nana-san," Shino said giving Fuu his best 'No worries' look

"Thank you, Shino-san, you said you were from the Aburame-clan, right?" she asked

"Yes, I hail from the clan of insect users of Konoha, why do you ask?" Shino inquired with a tilt of his head

"I have an interest in insects for reasons I can't say, would you like to discuss that with me while I'm here in Konoha?" Fuu asked with an unintentionally adorable look causing the usually stoic Shino to faulter and blush lightly before nodding in a bashful manner

"That would be quite agreeable, might we meet after the second exam? There should be a long break," Shino asked politely regaining his composure but not losing the blush

"Great!" Fuu cheered with a wide smile before she frowned at two other Genin approaching

"Hey there, Konchuu, trying to make some friends who don't know what you are?" a male Genin sneered as he approached, wearing a full head mask with his Taki headband attached long sleeve shirt, blue Anbu pants and sandals

"Pathetic, you should appreciate that Shibuki-sama allowed you to come at all, don't get greedy!" the other, in an identical outfit, said with a scowl

"You should speak more respectfully when you are addressing a lady," Shino said coolly his hive buzzing within himself

"Mind your' own business, kid," the first Taki nin replied turning his glare to Shino, who simply glared back

"Thank you, Shino-san, but I guess I have to leave for now, it was nice meeting you and I hope to see you later," Fuu said over her shoulder as she walked behind her two 'teammates'

Shino stood there for a few moments trying to calm himself and his hive before he did something stupid when a hand grabbed his shoulder. Shino turned to see Naruto smiling at him, "Don't worry she is strong you'll see her again someday,"

"Thank you, Naruto-san," Shino replied in a calm tone with an appreciative nod

"Don't mention it," Naruto replied before he scowled toward the Taki group, " _Is there any way to make her a Konoha-nin permanently without a political shit storm, being a Jinchuriki is no walk in the park anywhere maybe here it will be less of one_ ,"

" **I don't knw much about your' human politics but there might be, you should check the library and Hokage tower when you get a chance** ," Kurama-yang replied

" _I guess you're right_ ," Naruto sighed mentally before turning back to his friends, who mostly seemed to move on, save for Shino

"Hey Koneko, how about me and you go get dinner after this?" Kiba asked after the tense moment had passed

Koneko smiled softly at him and said in a sweet voice, "That sounds fun but I have to check with my sensei,"

"Oh, and who's that?" Kiba asked curious

"Hana Inuzuka, she is so nice," Koneko smiled watching Kiba pale slightly

"Well, I still would love to get some dinner with you sometime," Kiba said regaining his composure

"Hmm, maybe I'll think about it when we have a break," Koneko said with a teasing smile

Ino, Sakura, and Tenten were all giggling together about the budding romance between their friends while Natsu and Naruto were trying to hold back Akiro before he killed Kiba promising him a free shot in part two during the survival portion. As the group became rowdier they began to notice an increasing amount of KI in the room directed at them.

"Hey you guys might want to keep quiet lest you incur the wrath of the room," a guy of at least twenty said as he walked up

He wore a high collared purple vest over a white T-shirt with purple ninja pants, black shoes and fingerless gloves, and round lens glasses. He had silver hair worn in a ponytail and dark eyes and wore the Konoha headband.

" _He smells like snakes and blood lust_ " Natsu thought instantly putting up his guard while keeping a calm façade

Naruto walked forward toward the rest of the room and shouted, "You can all suck It! We're gonna take this whole thing!"

The genin in the room were stunned for a second before they redoubled their efforts directing it all at the rookies,

"Troublesome, now they all hate us," Shikamaru grumbled under his head

"Hi, I'm Kabuto Yakushi," Kabuto said introducing himself while he pulled out a deck of orange cards that were blank on one side

"What are those for?" Naruto asked in suspicion

"These are all the notes I have on the participants of this year' exams," Kabuto said placing one card down and applying chakra

"You see I keep them blank so prying eyes can't see everything," Kabuto explained as a map appeared

"Wow, there are twenty teams from Konohagakure; 10 teams from Suna; seven teams from Amegakure, Five teams from Kusagakure,; four teams from Takigakure; and one team from the new Otogakure," Kabuto said with a smirk at the reaction of most of the rookies

"So, is there any info on anyone participating you would like to know?" Kabuto asked the group

"Sabaku no Gaara and his team," Natsu said with a serious tone

"Naruto and Natsu Uzumaki and Rock Lee," Sasuke said with a smirk toward histeammates and Lee

"Easy," Kabuto said pulling three cards from the stack in a lightning fast motion

"First is Gaara. Sorry to say I don't have much on him except he is from Sunagakure, his teammates are his siblings, and he has done 6 C-Ranks and 1 B-rank and he has never received a single scratch. His teammates though are another story. Temari is a short to mid-range fighter that uses wind chakra blades projected from her fan. Konkuro is a puppet master who can fight at all ranges and is extremely good with poisons but not antidotes," Kabuto said with an arrogant smirk

Natsu absorbed the information with a blank face, " _Must be due to the Shukaku healing him_ ,"

" **But that wouldn't fix his clothes I think there is more to it than we think,"** Kurama-Yin said, " _ **This is getting interesting**_!"

"Next is Naruto Uzumaki," Kabuto said as he pulled out another card pushing chakra in to reveal several charts and graphs along with a picture of Naruto and his teammates

"Here we go. He was a shoe-in for the 'Dead Last' of his class but turned it around at his graduation. 32 D-Ranks, 1 B-Rank, and 1 C-Rank turned A-Rank. He has decent Nin and Taijutsu but his Genjutsu is non-existant. He is proficient in Kenjutsu but not much else. Over all nothing byt an average Genin with a sword." Kabuto stated with a smirk

"Natsu Uzumaki is basically the same with some proficiency in Genjutsu and some medical training, otherwise just a normal Genin," Kabuto said with the same annoying smirk

" _At least he is underestimating us_ ," both twins thought simultaneously before turning to each other with a knowing smirk and finger guns

"Finally Rock Lee, Graduated as the 'Dead Last' of his year last year. No ability to use Nin or Genjutsu thus specializes in Taijutsu with some weapons training. 52 D-Ranks, 12 C-Ranks. Seems easy enough to beat," Kabuto said with a shrug

"Hey, you back there, Break it up!" a voice shouted from the front of the room

The group all turned to see the source of the voice. An imposing man with a pronounced facial bone structure, dark eyes, and three slash scars running diagonally down his face from the left. He wore his headband as a bandana, the T&I division uniform with a dark coat and gloves.

"Now that I have your' attention I want all of you to come to the front where you will turn in your' entrance forms and receive a number, that is your' seat," The man said

Everyone in the room began going up and exchanging their forms for seat numbers. When everyone was seated Natsu found that he was between Konkuro and a shinobi from Amegakure.

" _Shit, I'm not gonna like this_ ," Natsu thought while the T&I specialist began explaining the exam

"Good afternoon! I am Ibiki Moreno and I will be your' proctor for this part of the Exam," Ibiki said taking in the reactions of the room

"For this portion of the exams you will be taking a written test," Ibiki grinned at the mixture of surprise and anguish which washed over the room, "There are ten questions each worth one point. Your' total score will be based on the accumulative scores of yourself and your' teammates so you can get a total of thirty points,"

The room became quiet while everyone digested this

" _So, even if Naruto fails we can still pass_ ," Sakura thought until Ibiki continued

"But if even one of your' teammates fail, you will all fail," Ibiki smirked

Naruto could feel Sakura and Sasuke both glaring holes into the back of his head making him shiver lightly.

" _No worries, I can always just cheat and pass_ ," Naruto thought

"If you get caught cheating you lose two points so, get caught five times and you fail," Ibiki said smiling

" _Just gotta do it well_ ," Naruto muttered in thought

"These sentries posted around the room will be acting as insurance to keep you all honest. You will have one hour to finish the test but I won't reveal the tenth question until the last fifteen minutes," Ibiki finished many Genin jumping up and shouting about the parameters being unfair

"I don't care if it's fair or not! Life ain't fair and it's better for you to learn that now!" Ibiki shouted,

"Begin!" Everyone scrambled to their seats and flipped over their test forms instantly feeling like they were in a hopeless situation.

As time ticked by many of the Genin were thinned from the herd by the 'Eagle-eyed Sentries' surrounding the desks. If you were caught five times a kunai was thrown at your' desk and you were called out. At one point a kunai flew past Naruto, mere inches from his face, and hit the desk right beside him scaring Naruto and making the Genin from Takigakure shout out at the examiner who promptly pinned the Genin to a wall silencing him.

To get by many of the Genin began cheating through various means.

Natsu looked around and saw Kankuro had a puppet taking the place of a sentry and Gaara had made a third eye which let him look at other people' papers. Sasuke, Naruto, Natsu, Neji, and Hinata were using their Dojutsus to either see through people to their papers or copy the movements of other people. Natsu was copying someone ahead of him who had started writing answers at the word 'Begin!' Naruto getting just as lucky.

" _Safe bet this guy is a plant to allow for correct information to circulate_ ," Natsu thought smirking

" **Yeah, he definitely doesn't sit like a Genin nor does he smell stressed** ," Kurama-Yin said in Natsu' mind

At the forty-five minute mark Ibiki stood up from behind his desk.

"Okay everyone pencils down it is time for the tenth question," Ibiki shouted everyone almost instantly obeying his orders, "Now this question has it' own rules separate from the other questions,"

"First off you can choose not to answer, leave now, and come back next exam," Ibiki said

"And what if we decide to answer?" Sakura asked from the middle of the room

"If you choose to answer and get it wrong you will fail the whole test regardless of your' current scores and remain Genin your' entire careers," Ibiki said with a smirk enjoying the shock and turmoil in the eyes of the Genin

"So, who wants to leave now?" Ibiki asked

For a few moments, there was no response. No one dared to answer for fear of disappointing their team. Everyone glanced around for any sign of movement. Then, as though a switch had been flipped, hands began to rise all around the room. As more and more Genin left the room slowly emptied until only twenty-eight teams remained. In these last moments, to the utter shock of the entire room, Naruto raised his hand slowly, as though lifting a great weight on his fingertips, only to slam his hand down into the desk top snapping everyone in the room out of their self-doubt.

"I don't run and I don't quit!" Naruto snarled jabbing a thumb into his chest and standing up, "I don't care if I am a Genin my entire life I'll still be Hokage, BELIEVE IT!"

"You go bro!" Natsu shouted

"So, bring out the tenth question!" Naruto shouted

Ibiki looked around and to his amazement where moments before he saw doubt and confusion he now saw confidence and clarity,

" _He has inspired them and galvanized their convictions with his hot headed little speech,"_ Ibiki thought smirking he looked to his sentries who all nodded to him

"Fine then, I just have one thing left to say," Ibiki began, pausing building the suspense, "You all Pass!"

"But, what about the tenth question?" Sakura blurted in confusion

"Leave it to a bookworm to want more work," Kiba howled from the back

"If you want that date don't be rude," Koneko teased beside him causing Kiba to stiffen up and sit straight

"As I was saying. You all pass and there was no tenth question," Ibiki said

"Could you please explain, Sir?" Akiro asked politely raising his hand

"The tenth question was the test," Ibiki said as he removed his headband revealing numerous burns and scars all over his scalp, "When you are a Chunin you can't just say, 'I don't want to continue,' when things get tough. You are still expected to lead your' men and try to claim victory. This test was an exercise in information gathering to test your' abilities to do so and not get caught,"

Ibiki made a hand motion and three individuals stood up across the room.

"These three are Chuunin who already knew the answers to the questions," Ibiki explained, "Since mis-information is far worse than no information,"

At that all of Team 7 shivered remembering the events of their mission to the Nami no Kuni. Before Ibiki could explain any further a large object came flying through the window breaking the glass and startling Natsu and Naruto into drawing their blades and jumping forward. As the two lunged forward the object opened up and three kunai were thrown to different walls hanging a banner which said, "Task 2: The ultra-sexy Anko Mitarashi' Training Ground 44 Survival Special!" but as the banner opened Naruto and Natsu came into view. Natsu' jian at Anko' neck while Naruto' Kodachi was at her side effectively keeping her in place.

"Whoa guess I'm early," Anko said noticing the swords at two of her vital spots and turning slightly to Ibiki who could only nod in astonishment at the speed, precision, and control of the two Genin

"Didn't mean to startle you guys but next time this happens I'm beating you both into a bloody pulp," Anko said sweetly with a smile that told the boys to back away slowly

"We apologize Anko-San!" Natsu said getting down on his knees and bowing Naruto following tut sweet

"It was kinda my fault and I have to admit your' reflexes are impressive just look at them none of them have even moved," Anko said pointing

The brothers turned around, while sheathing their swords, and were met with the gaping faces of most of the room save for their teammates, Team 5, Gaara, Ino, and Hinata. The brothers were surprised but ashamed at their foolish mistake.

"Now that that's settled, everybody move your' scrawny asses to training ground 44 for the next phase of the Chunin Exams," Anko shouted with a grin, "You have forty minutes so be sure you have everything!"

 **~To be continued~**

 **Hey guys hope you enjoyed the chapter next up is the Forest of Death and Orochimaru' meddling. I am not sure how much will be in it but I'll do what I can have fun and peace out! Again, thanks to Vulcran for the OC puppet users and Harutora75. Have Fun all and enjoy, Believe It! (^-^)/**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey guys! I am back back back again! With another exciting chapter! I really enjoyed the comments I received and am also no longer in need of pairings.**

 **List is as of now locked: Natsu/Ino; Naruto/Hinata; Sasuke/Sakura; Neji/Tenten; Shino/ Fuu; Kiba/Koneko; Shikamaru/Temari; Choji/Karui of Kumo; Lee/Ran of Kumo**

 **Enjoy the Chapter!**

 **Chapter 12: The Chunin Exams Part 2: Anko' Survival Special!**

 **~Previous~**

"Now that that's settled everybody move your' scrawny asses to training ground 44 for the next phase of the Chunin Exams," Anko shouted with a grin, "You have forty minutes so be sure you have everything!"

 **~Present Time: 4:30pm: Training Ground 44~**

Most of the remaining teams had found their way from the academy to the all imposing Training Ground 44, known by the shinobi of Konoha as 'The Forest of Death'. The forest was massive spanning a diameter of twenty kilometers from one side to the other. It had large trees and dense undergrowth everywhere. Many of the visible plants were notably poisonous or even carnivorous, as one ate a passing lizard, Natsu looked on knowing full well the dangers of that pit.

While he looked into the forest he noticeably shivered for an instant being able to sense an immense amount of danger but not from the forest or even the still miffed Anko Mitarashi. No, this KI was coming from the Kusagakure shinobi behind him. Their stare was like that of a cobra preparing to sink it' fangs into the unsuspecting pray.

" _They even smell like snakes_ ," Natsu thought as he tried to remain calm in their presence

" **And fresh blood** ," Kurama-yin said ominously, " **Be weary of them they aren't normal Genin and may be a challenge** ,"

" _You forget you old fluff ball, I'm no ordinary Genin either,_ " Natsu said placing his left hand in the crook of his right arm and flexing his fist up

" **I guess your' right but still, be careful I may be old but I don't want to die today,"** Kurama-Yin said smiling worriedly

" _You got it, unless someone needs me_ ," Natsu said with a confident gleam in his eyes

" _If that happens I make no promises_ ," Natsu said seriously before leaving his mindscape

When Natsu refocused on his surroundings he saw that the remaining ninja had come back and Anko was getting ready to explain the task. Naruto was also annoyed by how Anko was talking and doing a bad impression of her.

"I'm Anko Mitarashi, the sexiest Kunoichi in Konoha," Naruto said in a mocking version of Anko' voice "I am so important and you all should listen to me,"

With that a kunai flew past Naruto' face just barely scratching his cheek drawing a small amount of blood. Naruto sat there stunned for a second and thanking Kami that Kurama-Yang made him immune to poisons as he noticed a trace of purple liquid. Anko suddenly came up behind him and leaned in to him holding a kunai to his neck while she whispered in his ear,

"Let's leave the explanations to me and the impressions to someone else, got it, Gaki?"

"Yes," Naruto squeaked out his throat dry while he sweat bullets

Anko began to chuckle at the torment she was putting the young Genin through until she sensed a presence near her. Her face suddenly turned serious, her eyes becoming fierce and focused as she began searching for the stray KI. She turned to her right to see her own kunai knife, Naruto' blood still along the blade, being held out to her by the tongue of a Kusagakure Genin.

The Kusa-nin wore a tan tank top like shirt which reached down to her upper shins and had slits on both sides up to her waist. Beneath that she wore a pair of brown ninja pants and matching shirt. She wore a large straw hat and had a large rope belt tied in an inverted butterfly knot.

"Sorry for startling you," the Kusa Genin said while Anko stared her down coming between her and Naruto

"It's just, the sight of blood on your' blade as it flew by me, excited me to no end," the Kusa-nin continued with a slight shiver at the arousal she gained from the blood

Anko reached out and accepted her Kunai back with a nervous grin, "Thank you Grass Ninja just be careful about that,"

"Of course, Proctor," the Kusa-nin said tipping her large hat

While Anko moved back to the front of the group she was bumped into by a young Genin with long straight red-hair tied in a ponytail reaching his back. As they passed Anko felt something pressed into her hand and instantly understood. She continued up to the front of the crowd and jumped up onto the gate pulling out a stack of white forms which she then threw into the air for the Genin to catch, each sheet falling into the vicinity of a Genin.

"Those are release forms which say, 'Konohagakure no Sato is not responsible for anything which happens to me during this portion of the exams' that includes death and dismemberment," Anko explained causing a look of fear and apprehension to pass across the faces of several teams of Genin

"Fill them out if you want to continue," Anko shouted as she pulled a pair of scrolls out from her trench coat

"Once you fill out your' forms you and your' teammates will enter these booths and receive either a Heaven Scroll or an Earth scroll!" Anko looked around to see many of the teams glancing around trying to size up how much shit they were about to walk into

"After you receive your' scroll you will wait outside a gate, which will open at the start of the exam, after you enter you must acquire the opposite scroll from the one you have and make your' way inland until you reach the tower at the center of the forest. This tower is ten kilometers from each of the starting gates," Anko explained to the dismay of the Genin before her

"So, only half of us get to continue?" Sakura asked turning to Sasuke

"At most," Sasuke said while he sized up the task

"But we only need one of each scroll?" Sakura whined in confusion

"Yeah, but she never said we couldn't take more of them or even destroy others," Naruto explained while he filled out his form

"Hey guys I have an idea which will make this easier but it all depends on Sasuke' answer to my next question," Natsu said as he walked over

"What is this idea?" Sasuke asked intrigued with a plan to get through easily

"Can you use your' Sharingan to hypnotize people or easily weave a Genjutsu yet?" Natsu asked with a grin

"I can do both," Sasuke said his eyes widening as a grin formed "And I think I'll enjoy this little plan of your',"

"Perfect when we go in there, after we get our scroll, the three of us will cast a Genjutsu to make the guards think they still haven't given us the scroll," Natsu said smiling with his chest puffed out at his intelligent plan

"That wouldn't work," Sakura said with a deadpan look

"Yeah, I can do it," Sasuke said with a small smirk

"Okay, then are we ready?" Natsu asked while he glanced around the group receiving nods from everyone, "Good, we move as the first in,"

"Wait!" Naruto said suddenly

"What's wrong?" Sakura asked already nervous enough about cheating the exams

"When they get to the last team they'll notice they are one scroll short," Naruto said shocking everyone who forgot about that

"How could you forget such an important detail!?" Sasuke roared gaining them a few odd glances from the other competitors

"Cool it duck butt I thought of that," Natsu said infuriating Sasuke while pulling out a thin scroll with a storage seal

"When we get the scrolls, I will make a copy and place it in the stack by using the delay caused by the Genjutsu being weaved," Natsu explained

"You won't have much time to do it with all three of us casting the Genjutsu," Sasuke replied

"I only need to copy the outside enough the inside could say anything," Natsu explained with a foxy grin

" _At least nothing incriminating for us,"_ Natsu thought while thinking back to the Leaf Genin who smelled of snakes

"This should work so long as we aren't noticed," Sakura said sweetly still worried about the plan failing and being barred from the exam

"No worries we got the 'Almighty Last Uchiha' using his fabled eyes," Naruto said with a grin

"Hey! I stopped doing that when we became a team, remember?" Sasuke retorted indignantly gaining a nod from Naruto

"I know I just wanted to tease you a bit," Naruto replied with a smile

"Whatever, besides, what could go wrong?" Sasuke asked while Natsu gulped and quickly hid the scrolls his eyes darting around and his sensory grid searching three-hundred-sixty degrees around them

"What's wrong now?" Sakura sighed in exasperation

"Everybody knows when you ask that question the universe, in it' infinite boredom, loves to answer for a few entertaining minutes," Naruto explained looking around for trouble

Seeing, and sensing, nothing the brothers both relaxed while Sakura and Sasuke deadpanned at their idiocy; however, unbeknownst to the group of Genin a lone Kusagakure Genin hid high above, on top of the rock Team 7 was meeting beside.

" _Intriguing I will inform Master_ ," the Kusa-nin thought with a sadistic smile

 **~Minutes Later: Exchange Booth~**

Hearing the call to begin, Team 7 moved from their place near the large rock and made their way over to the Exchange Booth where they exchanged their forms for scrolls. As soon as the scroll was in Natsu' hand Sasuke activated his Sharingan while Naruto activated his Kitsunegan, discreetly, as well, putting both Chunin behind the counter in a trance. This gave Natsu a few precious seconds to finish the copy and place it at the bottom of the stack. While the boys hypnotized the Chunin Sakura stowed their Earth scroll away making sure she remained unnoticed. With the Genjutsu set the Chunin came out of their daze and looked at the Genin for a moment.

"Everything looks in order," one Chunin said in a monotone voice

"Here is your' Heaven Scroll," the other said in a similar tone the Genjutsu likely removing emotion for a moment

"Thanks," Naruto said as he grabbed the scroll and stowed it away in his trench coat

Team 7 left the booth and were instructed to head to gate 25 where they would be allowed into the forest at the start of the exam.

"I told you nothing would go wrong," Sasuke said with confidence

"Yes, Sasuke we never doubted you now will you please shut up before you blow it," Natsu said trying to quiet his braggart of a teammate

"Guys quiet I don't feel right about this," Sakura whined in a whisper as they approached gate 25

"Tell him that!" Sasuke and Natsu said at the same time

"We're here so both of you shut it," Naruto said annoyed

"He started it," Natsu and Sasuke huffed crossing their arms and turning away from each other

When they all looked to the gate they saw a very imposing chain-link fence with various warning signs strewn across it and a single chain with a key lock holding it closed. Now don't get me wrong this was an impressive gate but with the reputation this place had and all the shit inside you would think that the village would spring for some actual walls and not just metallic mesh.

BANG!

A shot from a starting gun was heard and the Chunin guarding the gates moved to the lock and quickly opened the gates allowing the Genin into the forest thinking, " _Don't die Sasuke and Sakura,_ " not even caring for the fate of the Uzumaki brothers.

 **~With Anko~**

After she started the challenge Anko pulled the note from the Genin out of her pocket and as she read it her eyes widened

" _The Kusa-nin smell of snakes and fresh blood. The other guy is worried_ ," Anko read and her heart began to pump faster as adrenaline filled her veins

"Mitarashi-san!" an Anbu said as he appeared from a burst of speed

"What?" Anko snapped as she turned from the note to the Anbu

"You need to see something. Follow me," the Anbu said before dashing away

Anko quickly followed the Anbu. They entered the village and came upon a small shrine where three bodies lied face down.

"Is this all?" Anko asked before examining the bodies

When she turned the bodies over her eyes widened to the size of saucers. All three bodies had been stabbed repeatedly until death but, that wasn't what caused Anko' reaction no, when she turned them over they she was shocked to see that all three of them were missing their faces.

"Where are their I.D.s?" Anko barked at the Anbu

The Anbu pulled out three I.D. cards and handed them to her. Anko was surprised once more by the faces of the three Kusa-nin as they were the same faces as the ones she had let into the exam sight.

" _The Kusa-nin smell of snakes and fresh blood_ ," Anko remembered the note her eyes widening

" _No, it can't be him! Why would he suddenly come here now?"_ Anko thought trying to understand the machination of her former sensei

"Quickly tell Lord Hokage that Orochimaru has returned! Get him to the tower in the forest" Anko ordered while she ran back to Training Ground 44

" _If I'm right then someone is in serious trouble_ ," Anko thought as she picked up the pace

 **~With Team 7~**

"Okay let's move to the tower now before anyone has a chance to attack us," Sakura shouted receiving nods from the rest of the group who began to steadily pick up the pace

"Natsu you take the lead so you can sense enemies and we can avoid fights," Sakura began giving everyone the battle plan, "Naruto you take the rear and guard our flanks while Sasuke and I take the middle since we can't sense much,"

Everyone nodded and got into position taking a diamond formation. They kept on like this until a great blast of Wind Chakra was shot at them toppling the tree to their left and throwing them into the trees to their right. Team 7 was disoriented by the sudden attack that seemed to come from nowhere.

" **Fūton: Daitoppa (Wind Style: Great Breakthrough)** ," Kurama muttered in the minds of Naruto and Natsu as they got up

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Natsu asked Naruto with a grin as he stood up pulling out a single shuriken

"Return and more?" Naruto asked his hands forming an open triangle as he prepared to copy the aggressive Wind Jutsu

"Yup, Fūton: Shinkūjin," Natsu whispered as he breathed out a thick cloud of yellow chakra, invisible to the eyes of most, which began coating the small shuriken and forming four large wind blades giving the normal shuriken the appearance of a fuma shuriken. Natsu threw the shuriken in the direction of the opposing Wind Jutsu before he began making hand-signs and shouted, "Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Suddenly in place of the one chakra infused shuriken a hundred appeared forming a wall of shuriken quickly finding their target and began moving even faster when Naruto shouted, "Fūton: Daitoppa!" and from his hands a gale of wind chakra stormed into being pushing back even more of the surrounding trees and pushing Natsu' shuriken to go even faster and spread out slightly.

The two watched as their collaboration Ninjutsu moved in on the target. In this case, it was the three Kusa-nin from outside the training ground. Two of them simply ran into the forest while the third one stayed where she stood being blind to the added wind blades and thus seeing ample room to dodge the lightning fast shuriken. She was quickly proven wrong though as when she dodged one shuriken by mere inches and was caught in the neck by the large fuma style wind blades. Her body was quickly sliced to ribbons as she left herself no room to dodge and no time to either.

Sasuke and Sakura were amazed at the skill and strength displayed by their teammates. Not only did they use the same jutsu that had just knocked their entire team on their asses but they added to it using the 'Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu,' creating the proverbial wall of shuriken. The most amazing part for Sakura was the fact that not a single shuriken had touched the Kusa-nin and yet there she lied, her body in pieces on the ground. Sasuke however had seen the wind blades and desperately wanted the power to do that seeing how the Kusa-nin couldn't see the blades.

"Can you teach me that jutsu you just used?" Sasuke grumbled as he got up clutching his left arm before popping the shoulder back in place

"Sure, just use your' Sharingan," Natsu said as he pulled up another shuriken threw it and used the clone jutsu

"I meant the other one!" Sasuke said in annoyance at his teammates antics still copying the 'Shuriken Kage Bunshin Jutsu'

"Fine," Natsu grumbled as he pulled the test shuriken back with an 'invisible wire' and whispered, "Fūton: Shinkūjin," before releasing the yellow chakra cloud and coating his blade

"I can't copy it without hand-signs!" Sasuke shouted

"Then I can't teach it because I doubt you have a wind chakra affinity!" Natsu yelled back before his back stiffened and he threw the still activated Vacuum Shuriken at a large snake that was sneaking up on the group. The snake was split down the middle thanks to the powerful wind chakra applied to the shuriken but where a normal snake would die this one just disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"I guess our favorite Kusa-nin can use the Kuchiyose no Jutsu," Naruto said while he watched their surroundings

"I must have missed her if that summons was still out and about," Natsu said sending a clone to the 'body'

"Yeah, looks like it was an Iwa Bunshin," Natsu said putting a finger to his temple as the memories of the clone came back to him

"We should watch the ground then," Naruto said his eyes scanning for the minute movements of the ground signifying the imminent attack

"Good idea" Sasuke said with his Sharingan still blazing as he scanned the earth below them for any deviation or movement and especially chakra

"Right since powerful Earth style users can use a jutsu like Natsu' 'Hiding in Water Technique," Sakura said pulling at her guards to make sure they were secure and pulling a kunai from her pouch

Natsu began expanding his senses trying to find their opponent and figure out her plan of attack, but to Natsu' surprise he couldn't sense any humans, or animals for that matter, around them. Now this wouldn't be weird if they were in a building or something but in the middle of the 'Forest of Death' one expects to feel the KI of predators or the miniscule chakra in the animals but Natsu felt, nothing, aside from his teammates, like they were completely alone in the forest.

"Get back!" Naruto shouted as a pair of hands appeared from the ground followed by the rest of the Kusa-nin thought to be dead, her large hat showing a single large gash,

" _Guess I got the real one before she could escape underground_ ," Natsu thought smirking

" _She must be fast if he could only leave one scratch on her hat with all of that_ ," Sasuke thought in slight panic

The genin trembled slightly as the Kusa-nin began releasing KI. One of her eyes was visible through the slash in her hat and she had insanity etched into her eyes and a wide grin on her face.

"Oh, what great fun I'm having!" she laughed to the heavens unrestrained pulling a single kunai from down her throat making the entirety of Team 7 almost barf

"Wh-what do y-you want?" Sakura asked in a shaking voice as she began to back away only for the KI of the Kusa-nin to increase and root them all to the spot

"What do I want?" the Kusa-nin said thoughtfully while she licked the blade of her kunai with her enormous tongue

"I want to have some fun with you," She said wickedly as she pulled a Heaven' Scroll from her shirt

"I know you don't need it, great plan by the way, but if you can impress me, Sasuke, I'll give you this and a powerful gift," the Kusa-nin said cryptically while placing the scroll on the ground

"Sasuke don't fall for it," Naruto said his hand resting on his Kodachi

"Shut it Dobe! If I want to play her game then let me," Sasuke said harshly turning to his teammates with a look that spoke to his motives receiving nods from everyone before he turned back with a determined look at the Kusa-nin

"Yes please, do shut up. Now, are you sure? You can't turn back," the Kusa-nin teased as she twirled the kunai on her finger

Sasuke nodded once as he reached for his jian still strapped to his back

"If you're sure," the Kusa-nin said with a shrug before a manic grin split across her face and she whipped the kunai off her finger sending it at blinding speeds straight for Sasuke' head

Sasuke watched as the kunai came closer and closer. His Sharingan blazed to life and he watched the blade fly to him in slow motion. He quickly drew his sword and deflected the kunai into the trunk of a tree before lunging forward at the Kusa-nin, who smiled with a wide maniacal grin.

"Impressive Sasuke-kun, but you'll need more than a lucky deflection to impress me!" the Kusa-nin chortled before she lunged forward drawing another kunai from her throat. She clashed with Sasuke' blade sending him skidding back several meters before he could stop his new momentum. Sasuke glared up at the Kusa-nin, who was still grinning like mad, before he felt a familiar and deadly presence nearby.

" _They haven't felt like that since Nami and even then it was nothing compared to this_ ," Sasuke thought suppressing a shiver as he turned to his teammates, the Kusa-nin following his gaze and freezing in a mix of awe and apprehension

The air surrounding the Uzumaki brothers began to bubble and churn, as though the air itself were boiling. It slowly outlined the boys completely before it began changing shape becoming thicker and more pronounced. The aura quickly became a cloak of intense red chakra surrounding the twins who each sported one red tail, fox like ears and claws of chakra, pronounced whisker marks, fangs protruding from their mouths, which had elongated into small snouts, and their nails had grown becoming like small blades.

The only thing that seemed to remain the same from before the cloak appeared was there eyes. Natsu' remained a charcoal grey while Naruto' retained their cerulean blue shade. But both their eyes had small vertical slits intersecting the round pupil and a strange light glowed within them.

" _Contact lenses_?" the Kusa-nin mused with a predatory grin, " _I Wonder what secrets lie behind those_ ,"

Natsu turned to the Kusa-nin and lifted his hand a chakra claw shooting out from the cloak and wrapping itself around the opposing shinobi' throat burning the skin it touched. Naruto ran up from the side and slashed at her stomach but only hit air as the Kusa-nin bent her back at unnatural angles coiling herself around the chakra arm receiving slight burns from the intense chakra and escaping the claw' vice like grip. She smiled as she dodged the rage fueled attacks sent forth by the brothers. They were fighting like children. Throwing sloppy punches and kicks that, while extremely deadly, were easy to dodge and predict even against two opponents. The brothers were slowly tiring as the chakra ate away at their flesh and their stamina.

Seeing an opportunity, the Kusa-nin lit her fingers on each hand with small purple flames containing glowing kanji. In a final assault, she lunged forward coming up in between the brothers and delivering a jab to both of their stomachs knocking the wind out of them and causing their cloaks to dispel leaving Naruto and Natsu unconscious on the ground.

"I never expected to have so much fun nor did I expect to see those two here of all places," the Kusa-nin chuckled before falling to one knee coughing up blood with a large gash in her stomach

"I took more damage than I thought too," the Kusa-nin mused as she stood back up revealing a second large gash across her face that butterflied out to show one yellow eye with a black vertical slit and strange purple markings around the eye on pale white skin

She turned to the now shaking Sakura and grinned a malicious smile, "Will you give me any fun?"

The Kusa-nin lunged at Sakura at breakneck speeds with another kunai poised in a reverse grip. Mere inches from the girl, the blade was suddenly stopped and parried in a flash surprising both Sakura and the Kusa-nin. Standing between Sakura and certain death was Sasuke holding both his swords in hand with his Jian held vertically aimed at the Kusa-nin and his Nodachi held in a reverse grip guarding his chest.

"I may not be all touchy feely in a lot of ways, but still, I'll be damned if I let you hurt my comrades while I can do something about it!" Sasuke roared with his Sharingan spinning faster than ever before and morphing into black pupils with a glowing red atom design surrounding a three point, black, pinwheel shuriken in the center.

The world suddenly slowed to a crawl around him. Sasuke could see everything around him, not just that, he could see where it would all be before it was even close. He watched as his opponent' body twitched before she regurgitated a second kunai. He saw how she raised her arms to occupy his own and how her body moved before the distance between them was swallowed by her speed. What was mere moments ago a blur of motion to him had become a simple stroll in his eyes, and yet, one truth remained

" _She's too fast for me to keep up with, even with my eyes as they are, I can't keep up_!" Sasuke thought as his eyes widened further

The Kusa-nin visibly salivated at the sight of Sasuke' eyes and lunged forward raising her two kunai to force Sasuke into a double block.

"You have impressed me thoroughly Sasuke-kun, now for your' reward," the Kusa-nin smiled before she grew a pair of serpentine fangs and her neck shot forward to bite down into the soft flesh, injecting an elixir into Sasuke' neck causing him to scream in pain before he fell to the ground, unconscious.

"I'll leave them here but I don't know if they'll wake up," the woman said with a malicious grin toward the trembling Sakura who was stuck on her knees in front of the downed Sasuke, terror in her wide eyes

The Kusagakure shinobi pointed at Sasuke, the mark on his shoulder slowly started glowing making Sasuke wince in pain.

"One day, when he feels this village is holding him back, he will come to me seeking power and I shall gladly give it to him," the Kusa-nin said as she sunk into the ground chuckling madly and leaving the young Genin to fend for herself and protect her comrades, the Heaven' Scroll remaining on the ground untouched.

Sakura rose slowly and ran over to Natsu and Naruto checking for signs of life and was washed over by a wave of relief as she felt two strong pulses from the boys and heard light snoring as they lied there unconscious.

"That's good they're just unconscious, like Sasuke-kun," Sakura said glancing around at her fallen teammates before she raised her hands in a hand-sign and whispering, "Earth Style: Earth Fortress Jutsu,"

Around the four Genin the earth began to shift and form a dome around the four that had a small archway and four horizontal slits in the roof to allow for air flow. Sakura went to her teammates and lined them up next to each other a worried look on her face as she found that Sasuke had a slight fever.

"I need to go get some water to bring down his fever," Sakura thought aloud as she looked at her teammates

"But I need to keep them safe as well. Damn it! Why can't I use the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu," she muttered before she heard a slight rustling outside

Sakura grabbed a Kunai from her pouch and hid at the side of the door waiting for something to happen. Soon enough a shadow fell across the entranceway and a voice whispered into the entrance "Sakura-chan are you in there?"

Sakura knew the voice and instantly relaxed sticking her kunai into the ground

"Yeah, Ino-chan, come in there's plenty of room," Sakura huffed out in exhaustion from the constant tension of the last hour

Ino walked into the small structure while Shikamaru and Choji stayed outside to 'Stand Guard' (Cough) nap (cough cough) snack

When Ino' eyes adjusted to the low light in the structure they instantly widened seeing Natsu, Naruto, and Sasuke, all set out next to each other, unconscious.

"What happened to them?" Ino asked in shock as she kneeled next to Natsu placing a hand to his forehead

"We were attacked by that Kusa team that scared Anko-sensei," Sakura answered as she looked worriedly at her three teammates

Ino saw her friend' worried face and placed a reassuring hand on Sakura' shoulder, "Don't worry they'll be fine you know these three they'll be up in a few hours itching to fight,"

Sakura smiled warmly at her old-new friend and glanced down at Natsu before giggling lightly

"What's so funny about my boyfriend?" Ino asked with a mock glare

"Nothing, it's just, he pushed me to learn this very jutsu and was the reason we became besties again," Sakura smiled at the red-haired boy

"Yeah, the day before was our first date," Ino said smiling at the memory

"He gave me tons of advice on training and how to mend our friendship even gave me a few new jutsu," Ino smiled while stroking his cheek

"They'll wake up any minute," Sakura whispered, "Hey could you stay here and watch over them while I go get some water for Sasuke' fever?"

"Yeah, we'll stick around for a bit we all owe this lug head a little something for that heads up," Ino said while she looked lovingly at Natsu' unconscious form

"Hey Ino, what scroll do you guys have?" Sakura asked suddenly

"The Earth scroll," Ino said not taking her eyes off Natsu

"I'll give you a Heaven scroll as payment then," Sakura said smiling while she left

"Choji! Shikamaru! Stay out there and keep watch while I take care of these three!" Ino ordered her teammates from within the structure while Sakura left with a small bowl made of earth,

"And I mean guard no cloud watching or snacking until Sakura-chan returns!" Ino barked receiving dual groans from

 **~Natsu/ Naruto' Mindscape~**

Natsu' eyes shot open, his pupils like pin pricks in the white of his eyes, as he himself shot up gasping for breath. Disoriented beyond belief and feeling like he ate a brick.

"Gah, did anyone get the name of that bitch?" Natsu asked around receiving a grunt from his right

"Yeah it was 'Dead'," Naruto said chuckling as he sat up

As their eyes came back into focus they looked around the room and for the first time realized where they were. They were no longer in the forest of death but were now in a sewer like place with pipes running up the walls and across the roof and water up to their ankles on the floor. They were incredibly surprised to find themselves in the Mindscape as they hadn't shared one in years. In their perception, it seemed that the world was split down the middle. The entirety totally visible to both boys with a line dividing the two halves. One side was darker while the other was slightly lighter. They were stuck outside of Kurama' room in their now shared mindscape. They were shocked even further when they realized the open hallway, that lead to the grumpy biju, was gone.

In place of the usual doorway was a solid looking stone slab with a depiction of their 'Eight Trigrams Seal' but surrounding it on the diagram were five seals each showing the kanji for one of five elements.

"That bitch! She used the 'Five Elements Seal' to separate us from Kurama and make his chakra mix with ours in a dangerous way!" Natsu snapped seething at the sealing jutsu

"Good thing we took note of this when we started studying Outo-san' Fuuinjutsu library," Naruto said with a wide grin while he held up his right hand each fingertip lighting with small blue kanji flames

Natsu nodded at his brother and his left hand too flared with the flaming kanji symbols as they readied themselves to strike the obstacle before them

You see when the brothers were studying Fuuinjutsu in the Namikaze library they found a note from their father depicting how this very jutsu could block the connection between a jinchuriki and their tenant while also destroying the jinchuriki' chakra control. They had decided to learn it for their possible fight with Gaara, during the tournament, and the release for the day someone used it on them.

"Five Elements Seal Release!" the twins roared as they jabbed their fingers into the stone slabe before them, enhancing their strikes with chakra to avoid damage

From the point of contact large cracks began to spider-web out. The cracks quickly covered the slab causing it to lose stability and crumble to the floor, splashing water up from the ground, the pieces fading from their shared mindscape as they walked into the room. When they walked in they saw two people standing there in front of Kurama' cage and they both seemed familiar. But they couldn't be.

On the left was a man of average height with spiky blond hair wearing basic ninja clothes and a white cloak with orange flames and the kanji for 'Yondaime Hokage' on the back. The man turned to reveal intelligent and kind blue eyes. He looked like an older Naruto, without the whiskers.

On the right was a woman who was slightly shorter than the man. She had long silky red hair that reached down to her ankles and piercing grey eyes. She wore a beige blouse under a long green dress and a pair of green cloth bracelets.

"Outos-san?" Natsu asked his eyes filling with tears as he ran forward to hug the two of them tightly

"Oka-san?" Naruto whimpered running forward and crushing his parents in a hug of his own

"How are you here?" Natsu asked in between sobs his mother now stroking his back slowly trying to calm the teary Genin

"What's going on?" Naruto asked sniffling

"Shhh, boys, it's okay we'll explain once you calm down a bit," Kushina said holding her sons close to her while Minato watched

After Natsu calmed down he wiped his eyes with his sleeve and sniffled before asking, "So, how are you here?"

"Boys, how much do you know about this?" Minato asked pointing back over his shoulder to the caged biju

"Everything except how to open the cage and let that fluff ball of a biju out," Naruto said smiling up at his father Natsu miroring his actions

"Are you two insane? If you let that demon out he will kill you!" Minato and Kushina shouted with worry

"You do remember that the only times he attacked the village he was under the control and influence of Uchiha, right?" Natsu asked stumping his parents with that fact

"Be that as it may he still wants out and could try anything," Kushina said trying to warn her son

"But he has been helping me and Natsu get strong for the last few years he even told me about you and what happened that night," Naruto explained his parents faces saddening

"Besides if he wants out he can't kill us otherwise he will die too thanks to the seal," Natsu reminded

"Speaking of, do you have the sealing formula Dad?" Naruto asked looking to Minato

"I do but are you both sure you want to let him roam free?" Minato asked with apprehension

"Yes, he is helpful, supportive, and cares about us, he was the one that helped us to become this strong while even the Sandaime fell short," Natsu explained gesturing to the biju

"What do you mean?" Kushina asked in a confused but darkening tone

"Like most jinchuriki, we were hated by the village and some of them went so far as to sabotage us in the academy, but we dealt with it," Natsu began while he explained the situation to his parents seeing Kushina become angrier

"We are only this strong because Kurama helped us train better and harder than any academy student and can use some serious jutsu as a Genin thanks to the Dojutsu he gave us," Naruto explained and with that the brothers activated their eyes showing them to their parents who gasped in shock Kushina especially

"What is that?" Kushina growled while several chakra chains erupted from her back startling Kurama and the brothers

"Kurama had the ability to grant his vessel this Dojutsu but would only do it if they respected him otherwise they only got healing and the use of his chakra," Natsu explained his eyes reverting back to normal

"And is it really that amazing?" Minato asked in curiosity

"Yeah, it is really helpful in learning new jutsu and even helped us master Hiraishin in a day," Naruto said pride filling his chest

Minato and Kushina sat there mouths agape not believing a word of it until Naruto pulled out his three-prong kunai and threw it before activating the jutsu and catching the kunai just before it went into the cage.

"See? I can do it," Naruto said with a wide grin

Minato and Kushina looked from the boys to Kurama, who seemed to have is two halves visible, separated in the cage by a visible line, and couldn't help but smile

"I knew that sealing him in you boys would do something amazing I just never expected such incredible results!" Minato laughed before going throught several hand-signs

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" he shouted as a small plume of smoke erupted in the seal chamber

From the smoke, an elongated toad with green skin and an orange belly appeared the elongated part of his torso change completely into a large scroll

"Where am I? What happened to that buffoon Jiraiya?" the toad asked while looking around until his widening eyes landed on Minato

"Yondaime-sama, how the hell could you have summoned me? You've been dead for over a decade!" the toad shouted

"It's good to see you too, Gerotora, what's it been fourteen, fifteen, years?" Minato asked nonchalantly

"Roughly, how did you summon me?" Gerotora asked again

"Upon sealing the Kyuubi I left a sliver of mine and Kushina' chakra in the seal to give support when Naruto or Natsu would eventually want to take the Kyuubi' chakra to use as their own," Minato explained

"Then you can't have much time," Gerotora replied sadly,

"Correct, could you reveal the scroll and allow the boys to sign?" Minato asked patiently

"Of course, Yondaime-sama," Gerotora said respectfully before he unfurled the scroll wrapped around his abdomen. On the scroll was an advanced depiction and description of the Reaper Death Seal used to hold the Kyuubi in Natsu and Naruto. Next to it was a box for the brothers to sign their names and gain control of the seal

"This is the sealing formula that will let you open, close tighten or loosen the seal at will or just open the cage," Minato explained gesturing to the diagrams and instructions

To the amazement of everyone the dividing line they witnessed created two seal formulas and Gerotoras one on the right, in Naruto' vision, and one on the left, in Natsu'.

"Well that was unexpected," Minato said with a quizzical brow

"Place your' fingerprints in blood in the box to transfer it over to you," Minato explained while the boys complied instantly feeling the effects as they allowed the seal to loosen slightly

"Sweet thanks Outo-san!" Natsu exclaimed hugging Minato tightly while Naruto came up for a hug afterwards

"And speaking of awesome Jutsu Mom, What, were those chains you shot out earlier?" Naruto asked his eyes gaining the same sparkle as Minato' at the prospect of a new Jutsu

"They are my 'Chakra Sealing Chains' and are a Jutsu that only our clan can use," Kushina explained releasing two small chains and allowing her sons to examine them closely

"Can you teach us?" Natsu asked jumping up and down

"There isn't much to teach," Kushina said much to the boys' disappointment

"But I can stimulate your chakra to allow you to create them like I do," Kushina said smiling

"Really, how?" Naruto exclaimed both boys bouncing around much to the Kurama' embarrassment

"I just need to apply a seal to your' back and you should be able to create them by channeling your chakra into it," Kushina explained

Hearing this Natsu and Naruto removed their shirts, revealing well defined muscles across their entire upper body, and sat down in front of their mother.

"Th _ey really have been training hard_ ," Kushina and Minato thought seeing the toned muscles of the two teenagers

Kushina reached forward and placed her open hand between Natsu' and Naruto' shoulder blades applying her chakra and transforming the chakra into ink which radiated out creating the kanji for 'Legacy' which was surrounded several times by a chain with a large spear head in alternating directions. After she removed her hand the seal disappeared and the boys began rubbing their shoulders as they had become stiff from the ritual.

"That should do it why not test it out?" Kushina asked wiping her hands off on each other

"Okay," Natsu said unsure as he channeled chakra into the seal on his back

From the center of the seal three ethereal chakra chains came out but unlike his mother' chains Natsu' were a shimmering onyx black. These chains also seemed much more powerful than the ones displayed by Kushina. His parents looked at him in slight awe as the chains whipped and danced around Natsu like the tails of Kurama behind them.

"They are so beautiful, Natsu!" Kushina exclaimed while she looked at the chains and the seal

"It looks like you haven't fully activated the seal. How do your' reserves feel?" Kushina asked

"Like I barely scratched 'em," Natsu answered with a wide grin

"That's good channel more in let's see how many chains you can make, my limit was twenty," Kushina said giving her son a shit eating grin and a peace sign

Not one to be outdone Natsu channeled more chakra into the seal fully activating it and unleashing thirty chains from his back but began feeling slightly light headed at the strain.

"Looks like I need to increase my reserves," Natsu said huffing slightly and dispelling the ethereal chains

"My turn!" Naruto shouted in glee channeling chakra into the seal at full power creating thirty chains as well

Naruto' chains came from the center of the seal much like Natsu' and began thrashing wildly behind him. His chains were also different in color from Kushina' and Natsu'. Naruto' chains glowed with a deep blue radiating power.

"You did very well and this was just your' first try," Minato said smiling at his sons while Naruto dispelled his chains slightly winded

"Besides it took your mom years to get even ten chains so imagine what you could do with them in that time," Minato said hugging Kushina close to his side while she pouted playfully

"Boys these chains can be used to attack, defend, and immobilize or seal your' opponents," Kushina explained while the boys focused on his mother' words

"You can attack with them easily and block attacks. You can also erect very strong barriers with them and if you wrap them around someone you will paralyze their chakra network until they are released," Kushina said finishing the explanation

" **Yeah, I found that out the hard way twice** ," Kurama grumbled from behind the cage his voice bringing the family out of their moment

"So, how are you guys here anyway we kinda got off track," Natsu said sheepishly while he put back on his shirts and jacket Naruto doing the same

"You see when I placed the seal I left a fragment of mine and your' mother' chakra in your seal and Naruto'," Minato explained motioning from himself and Kushina to the seal tag on the cage

"We weren't supposed to be brought out at the same time and not until the seal was truly about to break but something happened when that 'Five Elements Seal' was applied and the already weakened seal was pushed to it' limit," Minato explained

"Maybe it's from me using Kurama' Dojutsu and chakra so often during training," Natsu said thinking back to their cloak training from the last few weeks

"Yes, that's probably it but that last fight against Orochimaru doesn't help anything either," Kushina scolded

"What were you two thinking attacking a Sannin when your' just Genin?" she yelled upset about both her son' inheriting her reckless behavior

"I was thinking, 'If I don't get her to leave we may all die' and what do you mean Sannin we were fighting a normal Kusa-Nin albeit a strong one," Natsu said confused

"Yeah, Believe It! We needed to protect our team," Naruto shouted

"We looked through your' memories to get a sense of the life you two have lived and we saw your' latest fight," Kushina said irritated

"I trained under Jiraiya of the Sannin and saw Orochimaru fight before that was no doubt the 'White Snake' of Konoha and the most well-known of our missing nin," Minato explained

"No wonder he was so strong and that seal so well placed," Natsu said clutching his stomach while Naruto nodded clutching his own

The line between the halves of the mindscape began to grow wider as the boys were forced to their individual minds their parents still with each.

 **~Natsu' Mindscape~**

"Natsu, our time is running out I just want you to know that we love you and I am proud of you," Minato said with a bright smile

"I want to stay with you but we must get going, my Sochi" Kushina began tears in her eyes as she wrapped him into a tight hug

"I want you to respect those who deserve it, don't be a picky eater make sure you eat a lot of different kinds of foods. And make lots of good friends don't waste your' time with people who don't care about you," She said clutching Natsu even tighter

"Find someone who you can truly love and hold them close even in death," Minato said holding Kushina closer

"We love you both so much we'll miss you," Kushina said holding him as tight as possible

"You two will always be in my heart and on my mind," Natsu began smiling while tears threatened to fall

"You will be watching my back from now on right, Ka-san? And Outo-san will always be watching over me from his perch," Natsu said referencing the new seal on his back and the Hokage Monument

"I'll miss you guys but we'll get through it with the help of our friends," Natsu said as the tears fell

His parents began to fade away their chakra expired and they drifted off as pinpricks of light. Natsu fell to his knees sobbing uncontrollably. Strangely enough he was still happy happier than he had been in a long time but at the same time he felt sad. He was ecstatic to know his parent' love and to know them even a small amount but he was saddened at how quickly the visit had ended.

"I'll miss them but now let's open up that cage," Natsu said wiping the tears from his face and lifting his shirt before a seal appeared on his right hand and the one on his stomach appeared

" _ **He has such a kind heart and indominable will. They may even rival the old man**_ ," Kurama-yin thought as he watched the cage doors open letting him out into the rest of Natsu' mindscape

" **You have shown me respect and trust since we met, I won't betray that** ," Kurama-yin said laying down and napping half in half out of his cage

"Figures, I let him out and the first thing the fluff ball does is take a nap," Natsu chuckled laying against Kurama' side as he too fell asleep

 **~Naruto' Mindscap~**

"Sochi, we are running low on chakra and yet there is so much left to say," Kushina said holding him tightly

"We are proud to call you our Sochi," Minato said fondly

"Remember to never give up on your' dreams and to find someone who cherishes you," Minato finished

"I will always remember you and one day, when I'm strong enough, I'll become Hokage! Believe It!" Naruto roared giving his parents the truest smile he had ever given

"We'll be watching," Minato said smiling

"Yeah you guys have our backs no matter what!" Naruto replied with a wide smile hiding his tears

"Remember to respect others and to eat lots of fruits and vegetables!" Kushina rambled on weeping

"Make good friends and cherish your' bonds with others," Kusina said through her sobs

"Don't worry I will protect the village from danger and earn their respect. I will surpass you as the greatest Hokage ever! BELIEVE IT!" Naruto said determination in his eyes but tears flowing freely

"We will always be with you, will always love you, and always be proud of you, Naruto," Kushina said giving a small kiss to his forehead before pulling him closer

His parents hugged their son close as they slowly faded in light. He stayed there sobbing. He remained unmoving until he could no longer feel their warm embrace. Naruto fell to his knees and continued to sob until the pain in his chest subsided. He slowly got up looking into the cage before him.

"You have helped us out too many times to count I hope this makes up for being sealed in me," Naruto said smiling through his tears

" _ **He is loyal to the end with an unbreakable spirit that bests even my own stubbornness, he will surpass this world one day,**_ " Kurama-yang thought with a smile

" **You are the first of my containers to actually respect me and the first I consider a comrade** ," Kurama-yang spoke his voice deep but his tone soft

"I hope this works," Naruto said lifting his shirt before pressing his right hand against it and making a spinning motion. The seal seemed to open up on his stomach and the seal tag on the gate disappeared revealing a spiral lock on the cage. As the ink of the seal on Naruto' stomach dripped down and connected to the gate. The spiral lock unfurled and the doors swung outward as Kurama-yang stepped forward.

" _ **He truly is one of a kind,"**_ Kurama-yang smiled at the boy, " **Let's work together from now on,"**

Kurama-yang extended his fist toward Naruto who reciprocated the gesture smiling up at the fox.

~Sasuke' Mindscape(Curse Mark)~

Sasuke' eyes shot open before he sprang forward knocking away the blanket he had been clutching in his sleep. His breathing slowly calmed as he took note of his surroundings. He was in his old room, in his old bed, wearing his old clothes from before that Kami forsaken night. He looked to his closet where a full-length mirror stood nearby.

"What the hell?" Sasuke gasped as he stared into the mirror slowly rising to his feet. In the mirror stood his older self with his three tomoe sharingan blazing and a malefic purple aura surrounded his body as strange black marks snaked across his face.

Suddenly the memories of his fight flooded back into his mind. The terrifying Kusa-nin, the burning desire to protect Sakura from the enemy, the world suddenly slowing, and most of all the ruthless pain that shot through his system after he was bit. He looked from the mirror to his bare shoulder where a small mark sat comprised of three very complex tomoe.

Looking at his shoulder he realized that his body seemed to have regressed back into that of his eight-year-old self. Back to before his life was changed forever.

"Pathetic, isn't it?" the reflection asked gaining Sasuke' attention

"You haven't changed at all since that night, you're still just the scared little boy who couldn't stop his big brother from slaughtering his clan. You couldn't even see it coming let alone stop him when you found him," the reflection sneered as his Sharingan began to spin and take a new shape. In place of the three black tomoe was now a red six point atom design with a small black dot in the center

"Come to Orochimaru and he will give you more power than you could ever dream of! Come to him so that you may avenge your' clan, your' family!" declared the reflection

Sasuke stared back at the mirror in apprehension. He could really do it. He could avenge them all, kill Itachi, and all he had to do was join with the biggest traitor the Leaf had ever produced. It was so simple, so why? Why couldn't he just accept this offer?

" _In life, the easy way is rarely the best way, this is especially true for shinobi_ ," a familiar voice rang out in the room

Sasuke' head snapped up swiveling around trying to find the source of the familiar voice. He suddenly realized that he wasn't in his room he wasn't even in his house anymore. Instead he was in training ground 7 sitting with his back against a training post looking up at Kakashi' masked face with one of his infuriating eye smiles.

"So Sasuke, do you think that true strength is easy to come by, that someone will just give you power with no strings attached?" Kakashi asked

"No, but, by myself I might never be strong enough," Sasuke said looking down and away from his teacher

"That's just it, you're not alone, you have me, you have us all," Kakashi said with a sweep of his arm as other people began to appear. First was Naruto and Natsu with their trademark grins, Sakura with her determined face, Ino with a small smirk, Choji and a bag of BBQ chips, Shikamaru with his lazy eyes, Lee with his Flames of Youth burning in his eyes, Tenten brandishing a kunai, Neji with his stoic face, the ever feral Kiba, a stoic Shino, a smiling and confident Hinata, Akiro with a thumbs up, Koneko with a beaming smile, and Haku with an approving nod

"You see you aren't alone, you have us fighting with you in spirit if nothing else," Kakashi said gaining nods from everyone

"Ha, hahaha!" came a cruel cackle directly behind Sasuke. He spun around and was once more face to face with his own reflection, now looking up at him from the surface of the nearby pond

"You're an even more naïve child than I thought if you truly believe these people can help you become stronger than Orochimaru!" the reflection chided

"No, you're the fool if you think I'll go to him! My friends make me stronger. My drive to protect them and fight for them makes me strong," Sasuke said with determination as he glared down into the pond

"Like hell! You are still just one scared little boy and against the might of Orochimaru you're nothing!" the reflection sneered trying to break Sasuke' spirit and overtake him

Sasuke glared down into the water as his eyes slowly began to shift and spin turning a deep crimson as one after another three tomoe formed spinning insanely fast as his eyes again shifted in a fierce spiral before they slowed and stopped revealing a six point crimson atom with a three point pinwheel in the center

"I am not just one individual against even Orochimaru, I have a team, I have comrades, and together we can beat anything that comes," Sasuke said with a cold stare at the pond

"You really believe that? Then prove it!" shouted the reflection before it burst from the surface and lunged at the still eight-year-old Sasuke knocking him to the ground straddling the 'younger' boy' chest and raising a kunai high above them ready to impale the boy and take over

"You should have come quietly, well, I guess I can always go to Orochimaru-sama in your' place," the evil Sasuke grinned before his kunai was knocked from his hand a pair of senbon stuck into his wrist. The combatants looked to the still visible crowd of Genin both Tenten and Haku still brandishing several more senbon.

"Like he said together, we are stronger than anything we may face," Kakashi said with a glare as he revealed his Sharingan

"Hold back for a moment while we keep him busy, Teme," Naruto said with a grin drawing his kodachi

"Thanks, dobe," Sasuke replied,

"I won't be a burden to you. I will fight with you," Sasuke declared as he was enveloped in a swirl of white light. When he emerged, he was back to his fourteen-year-old self his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan blazing even brighter his Jihan and Nodachi in hand

Everyone turned and gave Sasuke a nod before drawing their weapons and rushing the doppelganger. The evil Sasuke drew a kunai himself before confronting them. He parried Kakashi' kunai and broke a Genjutsu from the Jonin before dodging another barrage of senbon from Haku and Tenten. He leapt over a wind blade from Natsu and side stepped a vertical slash from Naruto. He stabbed at Sakura only to be knocked back by a blow to the face before he was hit with a kunai from Tenten who was now wielding a chain scythe before throwing the weight at the doppelganger trying to ensnare him only for the weight to be deflected at the last second and for herself to be ensnared.

Haku went through handsign creating her mirror prison flashing from one to the other throwing a blizzard of senbon toward the doppelganger only for her attacks to be deflected before a powerful flamethrower hit her disrupting her jutsu and sending her to the ground. Neji lunged in and began with his Gentle Fist attacks only for the doppelganger to parry them. Sasuke leapt into the mix at this point sending vertical and diagonal slashes at his doppelganger. Naruto and Natsu added in their own skills in as they supplied horizontal slashes and thrusts before Sakura summoned her staff and began to sweep at the clone' legs.

He seemed to see through their attacks, where they were and would be. Sasuke kept up with the double and even surpassed him in visual acuity but still the clone wouldn't go down. It began to tire slowly as the onslaught of swords, finger tips, and a freakin' Bo staff continued before a powerful drop kick befell the doppelganger. He fell to the ground with blood now trickling from numerous cuts and broken bruises across his body and a large gash across his forehead. He struggled for each laborious breath while his opponents seemed unfazed by the fight.

"How can you all be so strong?" the doppelganger huffed as he glared up at them

"Haven't you been listening? When we fight to protect those we care about, those we call friend and comrade, we are truly strong. That is the Will of Fire, and that, is why you will never beat us," Sasuke said evenly as he held his Jian to the clone' jugular

"Goodbye," he said before stabbing his blade through the clone as it 'died' it let out a low gurgling noise before evaporating in a cloud of dank purple smoke

Sasuke looked up to the sky of his mindscape and smiled feeling as though a long held weight was lifted from him in that moment. He slowly drifted from his mindscape back into unconsciousness resting for the coming fight.

 **~Real World: Hours Later~**

Sakura had returned with water and had soaked several pieces of cloth and placed them on the boys' foreheads to keep their temperatures down. All three were showing signs of recovery and would wake soon enough.

Suddenly Naruto and Natsu had a spike of chakra wash over them making it look like they were on fire with chakra. Sakura and Ino jumped back to avoid the sudden burst. Their eyes transfixed on the brothers as the chakra subsided and the boys began to stir.

Natsu was the first to wake up and as he sat up a single tear fell from his left eye. He looked around seeing the earth fortress, Sakura and, to his surprise, Ino sitting on the other side of the room slight fear still evident on their faces.

Ino was the first to react and lunged into Natsu hugging him tightly before shouting at him, "Don't scare me like that again you dope!" with tears in her eyes and a wavering voice

"I'm sorry Ino-hime, I never meant to put you through that nor you Sakura," Natsu said nodding his head to Sakura and hugging Ino

"Please forgive me, I failed you all," Natsu said tears never falling but his regret clear in his voice

"We forgive you," Ino said lightly stroking his hair

"Yeah, besides that bitch was strong, she could give a Sannin a run for their money," Sakura exclaimed trying to cheer up her teammate

"Funny you should say that," Naruto said sitting up and looking at the three

"Turns out he was Orochimaru of the three Sannin," Naruto said while he sat up wiping tears from his own eyes

"How do you know that?" Sakura asked suspiciously

Quickly coming up with an excuse Natsu said, "When that one eye of his came into view I recognized it from an old photo of the Sannin, except for the purple guy-liner,"

"I guess that makes sense," Sakura said still suspicious

"Are you sure you guys should be moving around so much?" Ino asked as Natsu and Naruto stood and started stretching

"I feel like I could take on anything," Natsu answered a warm smile on his face pulling Ino into a hug

"And I will if only to protect you, Ino-chan," Natsu whispered into the young girl' ear before giving her a peck on the lips

"Right," Ino said smiling up at him a deep blush dusting her cheeks

"Awwwe," Sakura cooed at the scene her friend was in

Suddenly Sasuke began to stir with malevolent purple chakra surrounding his body as black sealing marks snaked across his face before his eyes burst open and the purple chakra receded back along with the strange black lines. Once they had reformed into the three tomoe mark on his shoulder the mark cracked and a small white snake removed itself from his body. Before it could slither off it was hit with a wind blade and it' remains burned to ash by Naruto and Natsu before they turned to the still resting Sasuke.

"What the Hell was that!?" Sakura and Ino shouted together

"It looks like he won out against the curse mark and his own darkness," Naruto said while he checked Sasuke' shoulder for residual elixir or seals

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked in a worried tone

"He is fine now. Had that mark stayed with him he would have slowly grown angrier and more aggressive as the chakra in the mark corrupted him with the 'power' of Orochimaru," Natsu explained

"The mark feeds on the darkness of a person' inner self and uses that to fight and defeat the host ultimately taking control of the person. You can fight it off and keep it at bay but the best out for something like this is to fight it hour one, and win," Naruto finished

"How do you two know so much about it?" Ino questioned giving her man a light glare

"All we can say for now is that our father was a Fuinjutsu master and had been studying a similar mark on someone in the village. He was able to contain the mark and it' influence but not remove it. The person is very kind so we also began studying how to remove it, with no luck just yet," Natsu explained quickly trying to placate his annoyed blonde

"That's just like you," Ino sighed giving Natsu a small smile before hugging him tightly

"So, Sasuke-kun is going to be okay? He won't go to Orochimaru?" Sakura asked with a bit of hope

"Likely not, let's give him time to rest," Naruto said before exiting the structure with Natsu and Ino

Natsu and Naruto walked outside to find Shikamaru leaning against the wall watching the clouds through cracks in the canopy above and Choji eating a bag of chips like it was the last scrap of food in the world. Choji was the first to notice the twins and was beaming at them.

"You guys are okay!" Choji said happily while still munching on his chips

"What a drag," Shikamaru said with a small grin, "Glad you're not dead,"

"Thanks for the enthusiasm buddy," Naruto said waving

"At least we got the scroll so we can all go to the tower now," Ino said happily

"Not until duck butt wakes up from the curse mark being applied," Naruto said hooking a thumb at the earth fortress where Sakura and Sasuke were

"Sakura said you guys were hit with some kind of seal as well, are you okay?" Choji said while opening a new bag of chips

"Yeah, we were able to release the sealing jutsu," Natsu said with a grin and a peace sign

"That must have been the flare of chakra we saw before you woke up," Ino said giving Natsu a worried glance

"Let's finish building camp while we wait for the Avenger to get up," Natsu said smiling and trying to bring up the groups morale

The group all smiled and nodded as they got to work on various things. Choji went to the stream and caught a few fish for everyone while Shikamaru dug a fire pit and Naruto and Natsu went and found fire wood. Ino was in charge of telling everyone what to do. Before long the Genin had a small cooking-fire going and several skewered fish surrounding it.

After they finished eating they all decided to get some rest and hope Sasuke would wake up sometime tomorrow. Natsu decided to take the first watch and think through the shit he had just learned. He was confused by the attack and angry at Orochimaru for what he had done.

Natsu looked up to see a single ninja jumping between branches. He couldn't see much though as the moon was behind her putting her in a dark silhouette. He could tell she was wearing a trench-coat and had her hair in a fan like ponytail. He could tell she was a woman due to the very obvious outline of her well-endowed chest.

"Is that Anko-chan?" Natsu thought before bringing his hands up in a cross formation

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu" Natsu whispered creating a single clone who went to follow Anko and see what would bring her into the forest during the test

 **~With Anko~**

Anko had only just arrived at the Forest of Death after discovering the presence of her former sensei, Orochimaru. She was pissed at herself for not realizing it sooner and was even more pissed that some Gaki of a Genin had noticed. She passed over a clearing where she saw the faintest glimpse of red hair standing guard outside an earth dome with a small fire lit.

"There's the Gaki now," She muttered and to her surprise the Genin seemed to come from the trees and run up alongside her

"We were attacked by Orochimaru," Natsu' clone said off handedly

Anko stopped in her tracks and turned to look at the Genin. Her eyes scanning over him in the low light of the moon.

"I must have misheard you Gaki. Did you say you were attacked by Orochimaru?" Anko asked while trying to clean out her ears

"We were, but we made it out with minimal injury," the clone explained

"I thought you should know he is skilled in Earth-style Jutsu and is disguised as a Kusa-nin," the clone said in a serious tone

"I know him better than most, Gaki," Anko muttered thinking back, for a moment, to all of the training and tutelage he had given her

Anko placed a hand on her shoulder rubbing the curse mark lightly. Natsu noticed the mark his eyes becoming darker and his tone becoming serious

"I see, then you should know he applied a curse mark to Sasuke Uchiha," Natsu' clone said in a grave

"I guess I'm too late then," Anko muttered looking back down toward the campsite

"Don't worry, Sasuke managed to beat the curse mark before it could get itself wedged into his subconscious," Natsu' clone explained with a reassuring look

"How is that even possible?" Anko asked in shock

"He fought the influence and won somehow. The residual chakra took the form of a white snake before Naruto and I killed it," the clone said with a cold glint to his eyes

"I am glad you are all okay just leave him to me," Anko said with her biggest smile and false bravado

"I may be a Gaki, but I know you could use some help," Natsu' clone said with a kind smile

"Besides I got a trick I want to try against him," the clone mused as the sound of rustling chains could be heard behind him

Anko' eyes widened at the sight of the onyx black chains, " _Those are just like the thing Kushina-Sama could do,_ "

"Let's do this then," Anko said as the two leapt from branch to branch

While they were moving through the forest Natsu explained what he and Naruto had done during their earlier fight with Orochimaru. Anko was impressed by their quick action and use of the Wind-style jutsus but was discouraged by the sloppy Taijutsu he displayed in the tailed beast state.

"Just keep your' temper in check, Gaki," Anko said as they came to a large tree branch

When they landed Anko suddenly grabbed the side of her neck in pain as she fell to one knee. Natsu knelt next to her checking for wounds and senbon. When he looked at her shoulder he saw a curse mark nearly identical to Sasuke' but this one was in reverse. As he watched it the curse mark began spinning and glowing but never spread. The mark seemed to be the cause of Anko' pain, sending jolts of agony coursing through her body.

From the trunk of the tree they were on walked a man with porcelin skin, hair as black as a cloudy night, and glowing yellow eyes like that of a snake. He had a pronounced jaw with a very short, almost non-existent nose and purple markings around his slit yellow eyes. He walked out of the tree trunk and began walking toward Anko and Natsu with madness in his face and malice in his eyes.

"Look at this the Jinchuriki brat is back up and running already? You truly are impressive, how is Sasuke-kun?" Orochimaru asked with a sweet tone while leaking KI

"He woke up first was super arrogant about it though," the clone said with false fear as he was left Immune to KI from anyone below the fox demon thanks to his new bond with Kurama-yin

"Nothing I wouldn't expect from the last Uchiha," Orochimaru said with a wide untamed grin "Does he like his little gift?"

"You call this shit a gift?" Anko growled biting back the pain to glare at her former teacher

"Why of course, I mean, your' was a prototype but still it works," Orochimaru said giving Anko an insane grin

"I wonder Orochimaru," Natsu asked with feigned curiosity getting the Snake of the Sannin' attention

"Can you use more than a mud-clone jutsu?" Natsu asked as a pair of onyx black chakra chains came down from another branch and forced the mud-clone to dispel

"Very perceptive, brat. I would love to stay and chat but I have bigger fish to fry. And tell Sarutobi-sensei that I am very excited about the conclusion of the Chunin Exams," the disembodied voice of Orochimaru cackled as his chakra signal faded

"Are you alright Anko-sama?" Natsu asked helping her up

"Gaki you have earned my respect, after that little stunt, call me Anko-chan," Anko said smiling as the pain subsided with Orochimaru' retreat

"Of course, Anko-chan," Natsu said smiling as she got up,

"I should report this back to the original," the clone said as he dispelled in a puff of smoke

"He was a fucking clone," Anko muttered before a squad of Anbu arrived at the scene one of which held Anko helping her stand

"Anko-san are you hurt? Where is Orochimaru?" another Anbu asked seeing the mud across the branch

"I'm not sure but I need to meet with Sandaime-sama right away. Ask him to come to the top of the tower as soon as possible," Anko said as the pain slowly dulled

 **~With Natsu~**

Natsu' eyes widened and he received a slight headache as the memories of his clone returned to him. He couldn't believe how gutsy his clone had become while with Anko-chan. He liked the sound of that though, another friend and true comrade for the Uzumaki.

"I just hope that we can make it through this," Natsu muttered knowing it may take Sasuke too long to wake up

Natsu then made several clones who went to the edges of the clearing and set the tags for the 'Sensing Hexagram Seal Jutsu' and a defensive barrier using another set of special sealing tags.

"I'm sure Naruto won't mind me borrowing some," Natsu said with a sly grin

 **~Next Morning~**

Natsu' eyes slowly opened and he found that he had fallen asleep sometime during the night. Fearing that something was wrong Natsu used his sensory barrier and found no breaks in the barrier nor did he feel any new or unwanted presences in or near the barrier.

"I guess everything is alright, but then why didn't they relieve me of duty," Natsu pouted while he did some basic stretches and exercises

He took out a ration bar and began munching on it before turning to look into the earth fortress. Natsu slowly entered seeing the six other Genin sound asleep and safe. Remembering that they left him outside all night he got a devious idea.

"Wake Up Everybody!" Natsu shouted at the top of his lungs

Five of the six Genin woke up almost instantly with Ino throwing a Kunai at the entrance missing Natsu my mere centimeters.

"Those are some nice reflexes kitten but let's not throw sharp objects at friends, okay?" Natsu said playfully giving Ino a pet name while she was too tired to argue about it

"Whatever foxy just give me some water," Ino grumbled as she exited the shelter and started brushing her hair

Natsu was rooted to his spot, ration bar almost being crushed, and his jaw mopping the dirt at his feet as he watched Ino. Her long hair was let completely down falling free and wild in a way. She slowly brushed it into a ponytail and as she did the sun began framing her giving her the appearance of some goddess, to Natsu at least.

Suddenly, at the left side of his barriers, within the surrounding undergrowth Natsu could feel the presence of three shinobi and, if what he was sensing was correct, they were not here for just the scroll. He could feel bloodlust and malice coming off them in waves.

Natsu gave a series of silent hand signals to alert his comrades who all instantly put their guards up. Natsu pulled out a single shuriken as he walked passed the shelter and with extreme precision he threw it in a wide arc sending it around the shelter and straight for the three shinobi who were spying on the group.

When the shuriken reached a sufficient distance around Natsu made a series of hand-signs and whispered, "Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu,"

The one shuriken suddenly multiplied into several hundred turning the dense undergrowth into a pin cushion from which three slightly wounded Otogakure shinobi jumped out.

The first was a Genin of about fifteen he had bandages all over his head leaving only his right eye visible. He wore a jacket with long sleeves that covered his wrists and had a strange fur back that gave him a porcupine look. He wore a pair of gray snake patterned pants and black long socks worn over the pants up to his shins. He also wore a scarf with the same pattern as his pants.

Beside him was a boy with black hair worn in the same style as one Kakashi Hatake. He had a dark look to his face with a fierceness that could rival the Inuzuka. The boy wore a head-band with a hapuri attached to the cloth. He wore a mustard brown shirt with the kanji for 'death' printed down the front three times and two black stripes at the shoulders. He wore arm bands which reached up to the elbow. He also had strange snake patterned pants and a scarf.

Finally, to the right of the boy with the bandaged head was a girl who just radiated sadism and cruelty. Her eyes were cold and her smile sent a chill down some spines. She had long black hair worn in a very lose ponytail which was clasped near the base. She had a dark tan vest jacket and the snake patterned pants but with the pants she had a slight skirt made of the same fabric and the large snake scarf.

The leader stepped forward and in a raspy voice said, "We are here to kill Sasuke Uchiha get out of the way and we may let you live as per Orochimaru-sama' orders,"

Naruto couldn't help but laugh at that. He slowly became hysterical grabbing his sides before looking back at them and laughing again. His laughter soon infected Natsu who found himself on the floor laughing.

"What's so funny?" The girl asked with venom in her words

"Yeah, we just threatened to kill your' teammate that usually deserves an 'Over my dead body!' or something especially if our lord and master is involved," the boy with black hair said

In their rage the two Otogakure Genin leapt forward that last precious foot and hit into the defensive barrier that Natsu had set the night before. In a flash of white light both of the Sound Genin disappeared leaving behind nothing but the stunned face of their teammate.

Dosu was surprised to say the least. One moment his teammates were there beside him and the next he was alone with no evidence that they had even been there. He looked to where his teammates had been and then to Natsu.

"What have you done to Zaku and Kin!?" he shouted

"I used a special barrier to teleport them away from here," Natsu said

"I've never heard of such a barrier you must be lying!" Dosu said pointing a finger at Natsu careful not to touch said barrier

"I am not lying they are perfectly safe and simply unconscious," Natsu said pointing to a pair of individuals just outside the barrier

"Kin, Zaku!" Dosu shouted running over to them only too hear a sizzling noise coming from behind his teammates

Dosu turned his head to see a kunai flying through the barrier and landing behind them with a paper bomb attached to the handle. Dosu' eyes widened as the bomb went off less than a meter from him. In the moments before the blast Dosu brought his arm up and revealed a strange metal gauntlet which he punched with all his might. The gauntlet began to emit a sound like a tuning fork. The sound grew louder and, to the amazement of the Konoha Genin, a barrier of sound waves was erected shielding Dosu from the blast. Though his teammates were caught up in the blast their bodies torn to shreds by the powerful explosion. Dosu was in only slightly better condition.

While Dosu' barrier had saved him from the full force of the blast he was still thrown back skidding across the ground and being thrown into a tree. From behind the tree several ethereal blue chakra chains appeared and secured Dosu to the tree paralyzing his chakra network.

The Knoha Genin were amazed at the display of power and tactics set out before them. Even Shikamaru was off his ass and watching the exchange with rapt attention. None of them could believe the skills of the supposed 'Dead Last'.

"Great work on the barrier Natsu but next time tell me beforehand that you used my sealing kunai," Naruto said coming from the opposite side of the shelter and picking up several of his three-prong kunai from around the campsite the defensive barrier collapsing

"Sorry bought that, but hey, it worked," Natsu said sheepishly

"Oh, and good placement of those two and that tagged Kunai," Natsu said complimenting his brother

"Thanks, the real fun was using my chains to get the last one, Believe It!" Naruto said with a smile

It was at that moment that the rest of the Konoha Genin noticed several ethereal blue chakra chains coming from underneath Naruto' jacket and heading toward the tree where Dosu was still restrained by the very same chains.

"Naruto, what are those?" Sakura asked with a shaky finger

"Chains made of my chakra, why?" Naruto replied casually scratching his face

"No reason," Sakura said in a 'I'm not going crazy' voice

"Natsu, can you do that too?" Ino asked with a small smile

"Why? You getting some kinky ideas?" Natsu replied with a cheeky grin

"No!" Ino shot back indignantly with a blush covering her cheeks, "I was just curious,"

"Well in any case yes, I can use chakra chains but mine are black," Natsu explained with a smile as his face suddenly went serious

Natsu turned to the shelter and saw a confused but fie Sasuke. His Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, staring intently at Dosu and the chains that bound him. Sasuke began to emit KI at the sight of the Otogakure headband before he noticed the othersand his Sharingan deactivated

"Hm, I guess you two are stronger than I thought," Sasuke said smirking walking over to the others

"Sorry if I worried anyone, and Sakura, thanks for looking after us, I'm sorry I couldn't protect you," Sasuke said in a sincere tone

"It was no trouble, Sasuke-kun, but if you really want to make it up to me, you could give me a private training session," Sakura said with a saucy smirk

"I guess I could spare an afternoon, after all, you were the reason I unlocked my eyes," Sasuke said with a prideful smirk

"So that was the Mangekyo, good work," Naruto said with a grin

" **That was more than his Mangekyo, that was his Eternal Mangekyo** ," Kurama-yang explained

" **He must have chosen to protect Sakura after we passed out thus unlocking his Eternal Mangekyo; whereas, had he decided to kill her and leave with the snake he would have unlocked his normal Mangekyo and gone blind the more he used it** ," Kurama-yin explained both twins getting the picture

"Sasuke, a moment please?" Naruto asked

"What is it Dobe?" Sasuke asked while he eyed the Oto Genin

"Is that new pair of eyes going to go dark any time soon?" Natsu asked carefully

"No, I read in a scroll in my family' hidden vaults that the Mangekyo is awoken in two ways, killing someone precious to you, which results in the basic Mangekyo which goes blind, but there was a second way discovered by Shisui Uchiha, who gained his Mangekyo without killing anyone precious in fact it was an accident that went undiscovered until shortly before his death. I found a journal he left behind, since I wanted to know how he had the Mangekyo but never went blind after using it all the time, he wrote that he saved a teammate from an arrow using himself as a meat shield but his eyes awakened completely to save himself and his friend. He was thought to hold a rare variant not a Mangekyo because to that point he didn't kill a friend," Sasuke explained with a sad but prideful grin

"Good for him and you," Naruto said with a reassuring glance

"That will be the only known way to activate these eyes from now on," Sasuke proclaimed with finality

"No qualms here, besides this way has double benefits," Naruto said with a grin

"What's the plan for the mummy?" Sasuke asked with a scowl

"We bring him to the tower for interrogation," Natsu said sternly

"Good, so long as he isn't released," Sasuke growled before stalking off to brood near the cooking fire

Natsu turned to the rest of the Genin, "No time to waste gang we leave for the tower in ten get yourselves fed and packed by then!"

"Right!" was the resounding reply as everyone scrambled to pack up the site and get ready to leave

 **~Time Skip: Forest Tower~**

The seven Konoha Genin had made good time to the tower and were fairly excited for completing the challenge so soon. Naruto was carrying a tied Dosu over his shoulder using the suppressing power of his chakra chains. The twins lead the pack with Natsu keeping a better sensory grid up and Naruto sensing for malice. They reached the actual tower quickly after packing up but noticed that many of the gates still had some small paper seal so each team picked a gate and walked in.

Team7 entered into a large concrete room with a balcony at the top of both walls and a strange saying written on a large parchment on the far wall. It said, "If Earthly skills are what you lack the bend your' back and prepare to attack. If Heavenly skills you require then open your' mind and take it higher,"

Natsu looked around and didn't see anyone until an idea came to him, "Hey guys let's open the scrolls now,"

"But Anko-sensei said not to open the scrolls," Sakura whined worried about being failed because of these idiots

"Not before reaching the tower," Naruto clarified pulling up the Heaven' scroll from Sakura' pack

"What how did you!?" Sakura gasped looking through her pack

"Just let them do it their logic is sound plus they haven't steered us wrong yet," Sasuke said with a rare smile

"Okay, if you think we should, Sasuke-kun," Sakura said while maintaining a worried look on her teammates

"Let's do this bro!" Naruto said suddenly while he unfurled the Heaven' scroll and Natsu the Earth scroll

Natsu looked at the seals written down on the scrolls and his eyes widened, "This is a summoning contract!"

Natsu picked up the scrolls and threw them a short distance away, the scrolls crossing as they fell creating a large plume of smoke which engulfed part of the room. When the four Genin could see again in the room standing above the scrolls was Iruka-sensei who had a warm smile, beaming with pride, on his face.

"Hey guys! Great job on passing the second part of the Chuunin exam especially so early you and Team 10 are the fourth and fifth teams to arrive the first being Team Gaara of Suna," Iruka said smiling

"Has Team 8 Arrived yet?" Naruto asked slightly worried about Hinata

"Yes, they were the second followed by Team Gai," Iruka explained still smiling

"You have all grown so strong so quickly, _especially you boys_ ," Iruka said thinking the last part

"Great, great, now can you point us to the Hokage' room we need to speak to him about this asshole," Sasuke said in a bored but annoyed tone

Iruka turned to look at the 'asshole', as Sasuke so eloquently put it, and froze. Iruka was surprised to say the least. He hadn't seen a technique like that since,

" _No, that couldn't be! It is That's Kushina' technique! How? When_?" Iruka thought his eyes going wide

"Natsu, why is that Oto-Genin tied in Those chains?" Iruka asked still stunned

"Is the Hokage here yet?" Natsu replied

"Yes, but how did you know?" Iruka asked

"I need to speak with him or we do that is," Natsu said motioning to his entire team

"Fine, but is everything Okay?" Iruka asked worried

"Of course, sensei it's just that we need to report something to the Hokage and Anko-chan," Naruto said smiling

Iruka sighed in defeat and lead the four Genin to a flight of stairs which took them directly to the Hokage at the top floor of the Forest Tower.

 **~With the Hokage and Anko~**

Anko was sitting on a couch across from the Sandaime in a moderately furnished room at the top of the Forest Tower. Between them was a small wooden table with a tea pot and two steaming cups of green tea. Anko was rubbing her shoulder which was still causing her great discomfort.

"I guess he is still close by maybe just outside the forest maybe inside," Anko said aloud judging the distance from the pain still in her shoulder

"I see, so explain to me what happened after you found the bodies at the shrine had been relieved of their faces," Hiruzen asked sipping his tea with a bitter look

"After that I sent word for you to come here and I set off into the forest to find Orochimaru," Anko answered her shoulder flaring as she thought back

Hiruzen stood up and his hands glowed with a green aura for a few seconds before he placed them on Anko' shoulder helping the pain to subside, "Better?"

"Better," Anko said releasing her shoulder

"So, how did you come to the conclusion that Orochimaru was inside the forest?" Hiruzen asked

"I was given this note by that Natsu Uzumaki after I had a slight altercation with Naruto and a Kusa-nin," Anko said handing the Hokage the note

After reading the note Hiruzem' eyes widened and he looked to Anko, "When did you read this?"

"Right after the start of the challenge but as the wheels started turning I was called to the bodies by an Anbu," Anko defended

"I see this is quite troubling. So, what happened when you confronted him?" Hiruzen asked and Anko' demeanor darkened

"By the time I got there he had already attacked Team 7 and had marked Sasuke Uchiha with a Heaven' mark; however, it seems the Uchiha was able to destroy the mark by fighting off the presence somehow. I was joined by one of Natsu Uzumaki' clones at which point he explained Sasuke' situation and decided to assist me," Anko explained to a surprised and serious Hiruzen

"When Orochimaru started flaring my curse mark I was almost disabled by the pain in my shoulder but the clone stood between us and guarded me. He even saw that the Orochimaru I was fighting was just a mud-clone and used his chakra chains from behind to slash through the clone dispelling it in an instant!" Anko said getting excited by the short but impressive display of skill

"I see," the Hoage began before a knock was heard at the door

 **~With Team 7~**

When they reached the door, Naruto reached forward and knocked getting a reply of "Come in," from the old man himself

The slightly disheveled team entered the room giving both occupants a surprise. When Team 7 walked in they greeted the stunned Hokage and Anko with the restrained Dosu in blue ethereal chakra chains.

" _That's Kushina' technique_!" The Hokage gasped in his mind, " _When did he learn that? And What else could he have learned_?"

"Why is that Oto-nin being restrained?" Hiruzen asked shocked by the situation

"Well the Oto-nin is being restrained because his village is owned by your' least favorite snake," Naruto said cryptically while he placed the now awake Dosu before the Hokage, who was growing in anger

"My chains are currently paralyzing his chakra network so he can't use any jutsu or try any tricks with us before Anko-chan gets her claws in him," Naruto explained to a smirking Anko and frowning Hokage

"Are there any other snakes slithering about?" Hiruzen asked a grave look on his face as he contemplated the possible names

"Kabuto Yakushi," Naruto growled thinking back to the Leaf Genin

"But he is a Leaf shinobi, why would he be in league with Orochimaru?" Anko asked rubbing the mark on her shoulder

"I don't know why he is but what I do know is that he smelled like the Kusa-nin who attacked us and was just the disguise of Orochimaru at that time," Natsu reasoned

"I see then upon his arrival we will capture him and question him about his master' plans," the Hokage said before looking back at the boys

"Now then, I wish to speak with Natsu and Naruto alone. Anko please take our guest to the IT department and have him questioned by Ibiki and Inoichi," Hiruzen said in a stern tone to the Kunoichi

"Yes, Hokage-sama!" Anko shouted while she picked up Dosu

"Oh, Anko-chan, could you say 'Hi' to Inoichi for me?" Natsu suddenly asked as Anko and the others were leaving the room

"Sure thing, Gaki," Anko said grinning as she left with a whimpering Dosu

When the doors closed Hiruzen turned to the two boys and said, "So, I hear you two survived an attack by Orochimaru and I see you can use your' mother' chakra chains now. What happened in the forest?"

"Orochimaru attacked and disrupted our seals with the, "Five Element Seal Jutsu," after we went one-tail cloak on him, then he marked Sasuke, who managed to destroy the mark somehow, but that was a mistake on his part," Natsu said giggling at the whole thing

"Yeah, Believe It! Because of that guy we got to talk with our parents!" Naruto exclaimed with a thumbs up

"Wait, you two died?" Hiruzen asked on the verge of a heart attack

"No, when he sealed the Kyuubi halves inside of us our father, Minato Namikaze, also sealed his and our mother' last bits of chakra which would activate when the seal was at it' weakest," Natsu explained easing Hiruzen' stress but making him more curious

"Well then why was the seal so weak?" Hiruen asked the two now nervous boys

"Well you see Jiji when we would train with the Kyuubi chakra or use our Dojutsu it apparently strained the seal until now since Minato was able to help us fix it," Naruto said sheepishly

"Yes, but how did you get passed the 'Five Element Seal'?" Hiruzen asked already having an idea

"We have been secretly studying Fuuinjutsu using clones and the Namikaze library," Natsu began much to the Hokage' surprise

"Yeah, during the last two months we came across the seal and how to release it," Naruto explained further elaborating by showing his release and his seal

"So, seeing as the seal would come in handy against other Jinchuuriki in a fight and that the seal could be placed on us one day we learned how to set it and release it," Natsu finished

"So, you released each other and when you did your' parents were released from the seal for a time helping you to repair it and teaching you how to use the chains?" Hiruzen asked having a deep understanding of the seal and how it worked

"Yes, and no, Jiji. You see we have a mindscape, each, and when there we have a room with a large cage where the Kyuubi is contained," Natsu began while in deep thought

"When we were unconscious this room was sealed off by the added seal so we released it in the mind scape and there, in front of the Kyuubi' cage, stood our parents," Natsu finished a single tear rolling down at the bittersweet memory

"but otherwise you're spot-on, Jiji," Naruto said smiling at the old man

"I see," Hiruzen said astonished by the boys and what they had learned in just a few short months

"So, did anything else happen?" Hiruzen asked raising an eyebrow but both boys shook their heads in the negative

"Well then, Good work on keeping your' allies safe, acquiring us a source of information, and on completing part two of the exams!" the Hokage cheered beaming with pride for the two-exceptional shinobi before him

"Thanks, Jiji!" both boys said as the left to meet up with the other Leaf Genin and wait for the second phase of the Chuunin Exams to end

 **~To be Continued~**

 **Hey guys hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Next up is part 2.5 of the Chuunin Exams or the preliminary tournament. I will write it A.S.A.P. but it may take a while as this week is a busy one.**

 **I already explained both how the Curse mark was broken and why Sasuke got the EMS now. If you are confused PM me, no fires please!**

 **Until next time, Enjoy! (^-^)/**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys I'm Back again! So today Is the start of Part 2.5 of the Chuunin Exams!**

 **And you better Believe It there will be some crazy shit and while some stuff will remain I may tweak a fight or two. Hope You enjoy!**

 **Chapter 13: Luck of the Devil; The Preliminaries Begin!**

 **~Previously~**

"Good work on keeping your' allies safe, acquiring us a source of information, and on completing part two of the exams!" the Hokage cheered beaming with pride for the two-exceptional shinobi before him

"Thanks, Jiji!" both boys said as the left to meet up with the other Leaf Genin and wait for the second phase of the Chuunin Exams to end

 **~Present Time: 4 Days Later~**

It was around noon the day after the end of Anko' 'Ground 44 Survival Special' (From Hell) and they were all rested and itching to prove themselves. In the last three days, not much had happened.

Natsu and Naruto had practiced using their chains and even practiced with controlling the size of the chains going from as thick as their wrists to the size of a senbon. They were still getting used to the feeling of their chakra basically leaking from their backs in the form of chains and the strange sensory grid it gave them both.

Sakura practiced her katas, with and without her staff, and physical training with Ino, when she wasn't practicing jutsu with Natsu. She was working to channel Doton chakra throughout herself while working through the kata giving herself more stability and power while increasing the weight and durability of her staff.

Sasuke had worked on his chakra control, by meditating from the ceiling of his room, or on mastering his new eyes. He had also found himself sparring with Sakura more often than the Uzumaki brothers since their arrival. He didn't know why or even think about it he just did it.

Choji and Shikamaru were both still being lazy bastards not even bothering to train that much. Ino had tried their first day in the tower to make them do more, but they complained about needing rest before stage three and not knowing when they'd have another chance. As a result Ino sparred with Sakura or worked on her chakra control and jutsu with her boyfriend, spending as much time as possible together.

Likewise, Hinata was sticking near Naruto every chance she got and while he trained his chakra chains she would fight them off using her 'Divine Defense Eight Trigrams' style, her personal variation of the Hyuuga 'Gentle Fist' style. Hinata' style was good but still imperfect against multiple opponents from different angles, and who better to train with than the clone factory himself.

The only team who were training in secret was Team 5 who had stayed hold up in their rooms training or doing something since they arrived late in the second day. Shino was resting and Kiba was doing his best to keep calm while being stuck inside for the better part of five days. Team Gai had also arrived early on the second day and while Neji and Tenten used the time to rest Lee was found doing over the top training everyday in one of the entrances into the tower. Sasuke had been confronted by the Hokage, not long after his talk with the Uzumaki brothers, concerned with any lingering effects of the Curse Mark.

 **~With Sasuke: Four days ago~**

Sasuke was meditating in one of the rooms provided to the Genin to rest and relax in. The room, like them all, was scarcely furnished and small. It had an average sized bed with plain white sheets. There was a small window, that didn't open and across from the bed was a small desk with a chair. That was the other problem there were a few bathrooms scattered throughout the tower but none in the rooms offered for the Genin to rest in. So, the mighty and proud Sasuke Uchiha was forced, like everyone else, to use the public restroom in his are of the third floor, which held the quarters for the male Genin while the women got the fourth floor all to themselves. He may not play the 'Last Loyal Uchiha' card very often but having to use the public bath and share it with enemy Genin was a small stretch for his newfound patience.

Sasuke let out a long sigh and stared over and out the window from his spot on the small bed. A look of deep concentration was on his face as he slowly traced his hand across where the curse mark had been placed on his neck. He thought back to all the power he felt from his other self. Like he could take on the Hokage and win! But the price of that power haunted him. To relinquish himself to it, and lose himself, he almost let it. He almost lost his chance to rebuild his clan and make it truly honorable, not the shadow it had been in the end. The Curse Mark would have made him stronger and made his training much easier but, he realized now, that power was tainted and evil. It would have corrupted him and his fledgling clan before it even began. Twisting his morals and his purpose until there was nothing left but a cracked reflection of himself.

"I bet without everyone beating it into me, I would have kept on the path to revenge and given myself to Orochimaru just for the chance" Sasuke laughed allowed, a hollow laugh remembering his former self

He was ripped from his reverie by a light knocking at his door

"Who is it?" Sasuke asked tiredly

"Someone whom you should show some respect, Sasuke," came the Hokage' stern voice from the now open door

The Hokage walked in with an authoritative scowl across his face, "I am here to discuss what happened in the forest and how you were able to rid yourself of that mark,"

"What would you like to know?" Sasuke asked with a confused look, "I basically told you everything earlier,"

"I understand that you fought the power and won out but, I am curious, what happened when the fight began?" the Hokage asked taking a seat on the desk chair

"I'm not quite sure myself," Sasuke said placing a hand to his temple as he explained the conversation and subsequent fight he had with his doppelganger, how his friends and comrades had come and helped him realize his strength and defeat the Curse Mark

By this point the Hokage had taken up a thinking pose stroking his beard while he absorbed the information, trying to understand what had happened, "So your' friends somehow helped you by fighting with you in your' mind against the doppelganger?"

"Yes and no, I think it was my subconscious trying to help my conscious mind purge the intruder," Sasuke explained while trying himself to decipher the events

"What makes you think that?" the Hokage asked with a curious yet grave look

"They only used attacks I had seen them use or knew they could," Sasuke began as he thought back, "Like the Okami kids, they didn't fight at all because I never saw them, while Neji Hyuuga did using his Juuken style which I have seen used by Hinata before. Haku only used senbon and her ice mirrors but she has a sword now,"

"I see that is a probable theory then, I will speak to Inoichi Yamanaka about this thank you for obliging an old man his idle curiosity," the Hokage said with a warm smile getting up to leave the room but, just before he left, he turned and said, "I am glad you fought that power, nothing good comes from taking the easy way out, in life the most worthwhile things we ever know come from us making the hard choices and living with them"

Sasuke nodded with a serious face, taking in the words of the ageing Kage before going back to his meditation

 **~Hokage' office: Day before the second exam ends~**

Kakashi, Naruto, and Natsu stood before the ornate oak desk of the Sandaime while he read through some paperwork spread across the surface of his desk

"Has there been any change in Sasuke' condition?" the Hokage asked

There has been no notable change in his personality, if anything he is friendlier than before and seems to be more open with people outside the team," Natsu said with a thoughtful tone

"Yeah, he isn't being such a Teme anymore, I'm gonna need a new nickname for him," Naruto said muttering the last part

"He has also focused more on broadening his training making himself more well rounded and less dependent on his Sharingan," Kakashi said with a bit of pride

"Very good, anything else of note?" the Hokage asked while clasping his hands on his desk

"Kabuto Yakushi has yet to arrive in the Tower and is still likely a traitor," Naruto spat while glaring out the window

"I see, why do you suspect him?" Hiruzen asked with a serious expression

"He smelled of snakes, as did Orochimaru disguised as the Kusa-nin and the Oto-nin we faced in the forest," Natsu explained with a hardened look

"He also has reason to betray Konoha," Kakashi chimed in

"What reason does he have to betray Konoha?" Hiruzen asked angrily dreading the possibilities

"I looked into him after his name came up. Turns out he was discovered in a battlefield as a survivor of a slaughtered village. The discovery was made by a medic-nin trained in infiltration by Danzo Shimura. She died several years ago during an infiltration mission in Iwa. Otherwise not much is known. He saw the woman as a mother and was trained as a medic and infiltration expert by herself and Danzo, according to a contact I have in the Anbu. Officially the kid has been a Genin here but who knows what Danzo his off the books?" Kakashi explained with a grim eye

"I see, even if it was just the loss of this woman he would resent the village, leta lone everything Danzo may have done to him or made him do," Hiruzen said rubbing his temples as he felt a migraine set in

"What should we do when he arrives, Jiji?" Naruto asked trying to distract him

"Leave him alone until the next phase, given his track record he will likely forfeit the match," Hiruzen replied,

"How goes your' training for the tournament, you boys still playing the skilled fools?" Hiruzen asked with a smirk now adorning his face with the change of topics

"I have no idea of what you are referring to," Naruto said smiling up at a corner of the room

"Our Fuinjutsu is going pretty well in general we're almost level 8 seal masters, our weapons training is also going well, I can hit a moving target from fifty meters at my top speed, we have also worked out uses for our chains in combat," Natsu explained the brothers' chests filling with pride

"What can't you boys do?" Kakashi asked in amazement at the skills the two had developed in apparently no time at all

"Defeat that Hebi-Teme, yet," Naruto growled, with barely contained rage

"That's a pretty tall order, anything else?" Hiruzen asked with a small smile

"Go on a first date with someone," Natsu said with a warm smile as he thought of Ino while Naruto thought of Hinata, both back in the tower

"Ha, I knew you had been happier since we got back from Nami, so, who's the girl?" Kakashi asked slapping Natsu playfully on the back while giving an eye smile

"You're a shinobi, you figure it out," Natsu laughed as he disappeared in a puff of smoke

"You going to give us any hint?" Kakashi asked Naruto

"It's pretty obvious even for a cyclops, look around," Naruto sadi as he too puffed into smoke

"Those boys are just like Hashirama and Tobirama from the early days of the village," Hiruzen whispered out thinking back almost seventy years

 **~Present Time: Arena floor~**

The participants of the Chuunin exam who were moving on were in the ground floor of a huge arena space with balconies on both sides, a large digital display screen, and a large statue of a shinobi' hands in the 'Ram' sign, both along the far wall.

The Genin were ordered in columns, across the arena floor, based on when they arrived, and their teams. So, from left to right, we have: Team Gaara, Team Kurenai, Team Kakashi, Team Asuma, Team Gai, Team Hana, Team Fuu, and Team Kabuto.

The Jinchuuriki all grinned, flooding with anticipation, seeing that all of them made it to this point. They were all excited at the prospect of fighting each other and several of the surrounding candidates.

Across from them stood the different Jonin sensei of the teams present at the exam, the Proctors for the three parts of the exam, and the Hokage himself, taking in the disheveled appearance of the Genin before them

" _I never expected so many of them to pass my test. I mean I knew at least half would fail but these numbers are still pretty damn high_ ," Anko thought with a smirk on her face

The last team was unwittingly being watched closely by several Anbu members for a chance to move in. They had arrived at the last minute of the Exam due to an unforeseen set back in the entrance room.

 **~Flashback: Kabuto Entering~**

Kabuto and his teammates had just made their way into the tower after being unable to find the team of Otogakure Shinobi who were entered in the exam.

"I'm sure they entered the forest. Where could they have gone?" Kabuto thought while his teammate, Yoroi began to unfurl a pair of scrolls only for his masked face to begin sweating profusely as one scroll seemed accurate but the second scroll had an image of a Chibi Kabuto throwing up a peace sign and winking with his tongue out saying 'You've been punked by the fuckboy of snakes!'

From over Yoroi' shoulder Misumi was reading the message and giggled for a second before the other scroll began to smoke

"Boss, we need another Earth scroll!" Misumi called looking into his own pack only to find two Heaven' scrolls they had acquired

"What is wrong with the one I gave you?" Kabuto said throwing Misumi another scroll and taking the fake they had received

Kabuto' entire body began to shake in pure, unadulterated, rage as he looked from the drawing to the message beside it. His eyes began to glow and a breeze picked up around him while the smoke behind them cleared and Kabuto instantly dropped his anger and hid the fake scroll swearing that he would get back at those fox brats. He began to chuckle inwardly allowing only a small smile to grace his lips leaving everyone, including the Leaf Chunin assigned to Kabuto' team, to shiver.

 **~Present Time: Arena Floor~**

Kabuto was still fuming over the fake scroll and was staring daggers at Natsu and Naruto who would only smile whenever their eyes met. Kabuto wanted to stick around and hope that his luck would allow him to fight one of the two fox brats. He wanted to keep the match going killing either of them slowly in a way that the proctor wouldn't step in.

"Ahem!" a man at the base of the large statue captured the attention of the competitors

The man was wearing the traditional Jonin flak jacket and garb of Konoha Jonin but he wore his headband as a bandana. He was coughing in regular intervals and seemed extremely sick for some reason. His eyes had pronounced bags under them, as though he hadn't slept in weeks. He was of average size and build with straight brown hair that reached his chin and dark eyes.

"Hello, I am Hayate Gekko and I will be your' proctor for this portion of the exam. Today we will be having a preliminary competition to decide who will be moving on to the final tournament. As per the rules, we are allowed to hold a preliminary exam before any stage of the competition to take out those who won't impress," Hayate said coughing every so often and causing an uproar in the stadium, mainly from Kiba

"What do you mean? We worked hard to get here and now we have to fight our way to the real part three?" Kiba roared at the proctor

"Well, frankly, we never expected so many of you to make it this far. We need to winnow away those that won't impress the attendees of the third exam," Hayate said coughing again

"I don't think you understand the purpose of these exams," the Hokage said as he walked out to the middle of the stage

"May I?" Hiruzen asked motioning to the microphone Hayate had been using

"Of course, Hokage-sama!" Hayate said with a slight bow

"Thank you. Now, these exams are meant to promote peace between participating villages and the lands they represent," the Hokage began gaining the attention of the crowd of Genin

"We hold these competitions to strengthen the bonds of trust and friendship between us and our allies but there is more too it. It is important that you understand that in all things there is usually more to it than there appears to be. As shinobi, of any village, it is your' prerogative to see beyond the obvious, to look underneath the underneath. These exams are, so to speak, a representation of the constant struggles and rivalries between allied nations, just as you all have struggles and rivalries between each other as friends. These battles force us to push past our previous limits and show new strength."

"What do you mean, Hokage-sama?" Tenten asked

"If we look at our history you will see that all the countries we are currently allied with were once fighting each other constantly for dominance over the lands. To mitigate the damages to any one nations military forces the leaders of each village would pick champions to fight in neutral locations and thus the Chuunin Selection Exams were born," Hiruzen said looking out at the faces of the surrounding Genin

"These exams also give you all a chance to show the world what you are made of. To show them your' strength and thus the strength of your' village. In doing so the dignitaries and other important guests who attend the exam are given a glimpse at what each village has to offer. This decides what villages will get more work. Those who shine brightly will gain the most attention while those who fall short will be left behind," the Hokage explained in a serious tone

At his explanation, all of the Sunagakure shinobi shuddered in anger, except Gaara who still didn't give away anything not even blinking.

"These exams also give a nation more leverage in negotiations with other nations," the Hokage said before he was interrupted

"Yeah, so, why do we have to risk our lives?" Kiba shouted from his position

"Because, young Inuzuka, the strength of the nation is the village' strength, and the village' strength is the shinobi' strength, and the true strength of a shinobi can only shine when they are in a life or death situation, such as those presented in this exam," the Hokage explained

The looks of confusion and anguish, once flourishing in the faces of the Genin, were gone, replaced by looks of determination. Their eyes were full of fire, determined to show their true strength and, by proxy, their village' strength.

In the group of Jonin Baki, the Suna team' Jonin sensei, gave a small sneer and a light smirk spitting on the words of the 'Mighty Hokage'.

"Now, Hayate-san, please continue," the Hokage said taking out and lighting his pipe as Hayate retook the stage

"Thank you, Hokage-sama," Hayate coughed before clearing his throat again

"Now, as I said, we will be holding a preliminary tournament to decide who moves forward and who will be forced to leave the exams now. The screen above will randomly select two names for each match the names of those who win will be added to the roster for the third phase those who lose, better luck next year," Hayate said with a slight smirk

"What are the rules of combat?" Neji asked while giving Hinata a cold glare

"You will be fighting in one on one matches. The rules are you can attack at full force, but no killing, if your' opponent dies during the match you will be eliminated, you win by either knockout or by T.K.O at which point I will call the match due to a power gap or due to excessive trauma sustained by either competitor" Hayate said making sure the last part stuck

"What if they die after the match or come close during?" Sakura asked with a worried look on her face

"If I think the fight is going to end in death I will step in and stop it. But if they die as a result of their injuries after the match has been called I can't do anything," Hayate stated with a grim face

"Any more questions?" Hayate called getting no response from the rest of the room

"Okay, if any of you wish to forfeit from the exam now is your' last chance before the test?" Hayate said looking out over the crowd

A single Genin raised his hand. He had silver hair tied back in a ponytail and his round frame glasses were cracked in several places.

"I forfeit," called Kabuto from the back row

"I took too much damage in the second round and my chakra reserves are almost gone," He chuckled sheepishly while rubbing the back of his head

" _I wish I could get back at that stupid fox brat but if I did that the real me might surface, and we can't have_ _that_ ," Kabuto thought while glaring at the brothers

"What are you doing, Kabuto?" Misumi whispered over his shoulder

"I can't reveal myself here of all places, that comes later, just test them like Orochimaru-sama has ordered," Kabuto whispered back with a dark tone

"Alright, Kabuto Yakushi is out, anyone else?" Hayate asked again, two of the Taki 'Genin' raised their hands forfeiting the match and allowing Fuu to move on, he received no further response so he turned to the large screen which began cycling through the eighteen remaining names landing on two

 **~Sasuke Uchiha V.s. Yoroi Akado~**

"Okay, Sasuke Uchiha and Yoroi Akado! Get your' scrawny asses to the front the rest of you get your' own scrawny asses up into the stands and wait for your' turns," Anko shouted holding up a clipboard

The Genin and their respective sensei began to file into their teams and walk up the stairs to the stands. Sasuke and Yoroi stayed behind staring each other down.

None seemed to notice the slight blur of movement just outside the large arena entrance where Kabuto had been watching from. In an instant, he was attacked form behind, receiving a chop to the back of his neck, and being rendered unconscious. An Anbu in an owl mask caught Kabuto' unconscious form and leapt away bringing Kabuto to the TI department of Konoha for Ibiki and Inoichi to interrogate.

"Competitors ready," Hayate shouted receiving nods from both Leaf Genin, "Begin!"

With the start given both shinobi lunged forward and began trading blows. Sasuke and his opponent seemed even at first but as the match dragged on it seemed Sasuke' stamina wasn't holding out.

Sasuke delivered an uppercut to Yoroi' jaw but the opposing Genin simply bent back and sent a kick to Sasuke' jaw while performing a backflip. Sasuke brought up his hand and caught the kick before flinging his opponent back a few meters.

"Not bad kid, but not good enough," Yoroi growled with a snicker

"How do your' reserves feel?" Yoroi taunted as he connected with a right hook

Sasuke brought up his left arm to block and suddenly felt a drain on his reserves.

" _Has he been doing that the whole time_?" Sasuke wondered glaring at his opponent

"So, you finally noticed!" Yoroi cackled as he grazed Sasuke' shoulder with another kick

"I have the innate ability to absorb my opponent' chakra with the slightest touch. So, even if you block my strikes," Yoroi began delivering another kick to Sasuke' side but was blocked by Sasuke' shin

"I still drain a chunk of your' chakra and even an Uchiha will reach his limit sometime. Especially one as weak as you," Yoroi cackled as he went to deliver another punch only for Sasuke to avoid it completely

"What? Where did that brat go?" growled Yoroi as he looked left to right

Sasuke reappeared below Yoroi and delivered a devastating kick to his jaw sending the Genin into the air. Sasuke, in a burst of speed, appeared behind Yoroi, Sharingan blazing, delivering an axe kick to his shoulder, rocketing the traitor to the ground.

"Dancing Leaf Shadow," Sasuke whispered appearing once more behind Yoroi grabbing onto the older Genin forcing back to the arena floor with greater speed and a devastating spiral

Sasuke jumped off at the last second leaving Yoroi to take the full force of the attack. But that wasn't all. In his landing Sasuke called out, "Lion' Barrage!" and landed on Yoroi' chest causing a sickening crunch which forced Yoroi to cough up blood.

Hayate ran up to Yoroi and checked him for a pulse, sighing in relief when the Genin was still breathing, his pulse weak, but there.

"Yoroi Akado is unable to fight, Sasuke Uchiha Wins!" Hayate called motioning toward Sasuke

"Medics please take Yoroi to the infirmary," Hayate said as a pair of medical nin ran in applying first aid to stabilize the poor boy before moving him

As Yoroi was carried from the stadium, the screen lit back up and another pair of names was selected.

 **Kankuro of the Dessert V.S. Akiro Okami**

"Kankuro of the Dessert and Akiro Okami of Konoha please make your way to the arena floor!" Hayate called while Sasuke made his way upstairs

As Sasuke passed Kakashi the Jonin smiled and said, "That looked a lot like the moves Lee used during your' fight, did you copy them with your' Sharingan?"

"And, what of it?" Sasuke growled

"Nothing, just curious," Kakashi said his hands up in a defensive manner

Sasuke grunted as he moved to the balcony, leaning against the railing to watch the next match.

"This is gonna be good," Natsu whispered to Naruto

"Yeah, Believe It!" Naruto shouted out

"Go, Akiro!" Natsu shouted out much to the sandy haired boys chagrin

"Yeah, Go bro let that Suna asshole have it!" called Koneko from the railing beside Team 7

Bonk!

"I told you not to be so vulgar when in public," Hana grumbled as she hit her student upside the head

"Ow, sorry Hana-sensei," Koneko muttered rubbing her head where Hana had whacked he

"How have you boys been?" Hana asked turning to the Uzumaki brothers

"Great, Hana-sensei!" Natsu said with a small bow

"Wait, you guys trained with Team 5?" Kakashi said his eyes a bit wide

"Yeah, Natsu wanted to learn a trick from Akiro and we taught them a bit of Fuuinjutsu to up their special skills," Naruto said with a grin plastered across his face

"Speaking of, how did that go, Hana-sensei?" Natsu asked turning to the Inuzuka

"It went great after your lesson they fiddled with their secret weapons a bit and, well, I should let you see before I ruin the surprise," Hana said motioning toward the arena where Kankuro and Akiro were staring each other down

 **~Akiro V.s. Kankuro~**

"Fighters ready?" Hayate asked glancing between them

"Yes," both said in unison

"Begin!" Hayate shouted

At the signal Kankuro began to chuckle, "I can't wait to break you and your' worthless puppets,"

"Awwe, and here I was hoping for some love from a fellow Puppet Master," Akiro said sarcastically as he pulled out a sealing scroll with one hand and bit his other hand

"No matter what you say, you are no Puppet Master," Kankuro said coldly as he pulled out a kunai

"You and your' entire clan are nothing but second rate hacks who betrayed their homeland!" Kankuro spat as he dashed forward trying to slash the scroll before Akiro could activate it

Seeing Kankuro' intention Akiro threw the scroll into the air and began weaving hand-signs, "Doton: Doryūheki!"

With that Akiro slammed his hands into the ground erecting an earth wall, which caught Kankuro' attack, before biting his thumb and jumping to his scroll. Akiro caught the scroll and smeared his blood across the seals releasing a large blue wolf puppet the size of a bus bench.

The puppet was dyed a deep shade of blue with various patches of lighter blues giving the well carved wood the appearance of fur. The wolf had a long snout containing razor sharp metal fangs dripping with a purple liquid, steel claws, and deep brown eyes that seemed to glow. On the puppets head were several seals which reinforced the wood to be stronger than steel and resistant to bladed weapons.

"See that's what I mean," Kankuro said with a chuckle pointing at the wolf puppet

"That thing is so far from the work of the true puppet masters that it' laughable," Kankuro said chuckling until he realized, the wolf was gone and Akiro' fingers weren't twitching in the slightest

From behind Kankuro heard a small creak, that almost sounded like a predatory growl, before he felt a weight push him forward.

Turning his head, he saw the wolf puppet behind him his razor fangs sunk deep into the bundle on his back. Blood dripping down from within.

"How did you know?" Kankuro asked as his face began to crack away falling to the floor and creating small piles of sand which were slowly covered in blood.

The bundle off 'Kankuro' back fell to the ground, the wrapping around it falling and revealing a heavily panting Kankuro.

"You bastard! How did you move this thing without moving your' hands?" Kankuro asked as the wolf released his leg

"Okami Secret Art: Puppet Master Mind Jutsu," Akiro said coldly as he pulled up a vial

"This is the antidote that this, bastard, created for the poison now in your' blood," Akiro said angrily while pointing to Kankuro' wound which had a faint purple outline

"If you want the antidote concede, otherwise I'm just as happy doing this all again next exam as a Konoha Shinobi!" Akiro growled

Kankuro looked from his leg to Akiro and then to the proctor who only shrugged.

"If you die he can try again next time," Hayate said utterly impressed by the tactical skill of the Okami heir

Kankuro turned to his sensei who nodded

"Fine, I'll accept the antidote and I forfeit this match," Kankuro grumbled before catching the green vile and gaging on the liquid

"What is in this crap!?" Kankuro roared

"Vinegar, dust, and food coloring," Akiro said with a wide grin

"What about the poison?" Kankuro shouted glaring daggers

"Oh, this stuff?" Akiro asked wiping a finger across the lower jaw of his puppet before putting it in his mouth

"Grape soda, great for effect ain't it?" Akiro asked smiling enjoying the guffawed looks of Kankuro and his team, save for the ever blank Gaara

"Winner by forfeit, Akiro Okami!" Hayate shouted even more impressed by the deception

Akiro smugly walked up to the balcony while Kankuro was helped to the infirmary by Baki who scolded him for falling for such a ploy. Completely leaving out the part where he himself believed it.

 **~Balcony~**

"Great work, Akiro!" Hana said slapping him hard on the back

"Dude, that was so cool the way you threw the scroll up before blocking Kankuro!" Natsu shouted as he shook his friend' hand

"Tha a aaanks Natssuuu," Akiro tried to say while being shaken hard by his friend

"That was impressive Akiro-san, I didn't know that Konoha had a puppet master guild," Fuu commented in a jovial tone

"We defected from Suna after the last war and came to Konoha, we're still not trusted yet but we get by," Akiro said with a smile

"I can understand that," Fuu said looking around the Konoha Genin seeing Shino glancing at her she gave him a small wink when next he looked causing the lightest blush to tint his stoic face

From behind a female voice shouted, "Yeah, I'm up next!"

The group turned to see the screen displaying two new names

 **~Koneko Okami V.S. Shikamaru Nara~**

"Koneko Okami and Shikamaru Nara please enter the arena!" Hayate called up

Koneko jumped over the balcony and landing in the arena below with the grace and elegance of a leaf falling into a pool of water.

"Come on lazy…" she paused looking up to her sensei and the look she had, one which promised untold pain

"…Bones, let's see what you got!" Koneko shouted pointing to Shikamaru who still hadn't moved an inch

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered

" _Maybe I should just forfeit now_ ," He thought before Ino pushed him over the edge of the railing

"Go get her, Shikamaru!" Ino shouted from above

"Damn Blondes," he muttered as he went to the center of the arena

"I guess I should at least do something now that I'm here," Shikamaru grumbled as he turned to his opponent, " _Why does my opponent have to be a girl? Now I'll be labelled as some misogynistic asshole_ ,"

"Fighters ready?" Hayate asked looking between them only receiving any acknowledgement from Koneko

"I said, 'Ready'?" Hayate repeated looking for confirmation from the Nara

"Yeah, I guess," Shikamaru answered as he cleaned his ear with his finger

"Begin!" Hayate shouted

The signal was given but neither moved. Koneko had heard of the Nara and their advanced tactical minds but she never heard many specifics on their jutsu or how it worked. After about two minutes of waiting and watching Koneko was fed up with Shikamaru and his lazy attitude.

"If you won't make the first move then I will!" Koneko shouted as she jumped back and pulled up her own scroll and biting her thumb smearing her blood across the seals

A large plume of smoke appeared and from it came another puppet stained with shades of blue which gave it the appearance of blue fur with a white collar of scruff and some green highlights over the front paws and shins. To the shock of the room this puppet greatly resembled a fox and had three tails attached to it' back each moving around it in different directions.

The fox lowered it' head and prepared to charge forward. Koneko pulled her hands back and the Fox darted forward it' claws ready to strike at Shikamaru.

Shikamaru nimbly dodged left at the last second only to be kicked, by a waiting Koneko, back to the large fox puppet. Koneko added more chakra to her threads and channeled it into a set of seals along the front paws of the puppets causing it' claws to glow faintly before extending into visible chakra blades the size of kitchen knives.

Shikamaru' eyes widened before he squatted and made a hand seal. To Koneko' shock the Nara' shadow began to become darker and shot out towards her own. She dodged left but was followed quickly by the shadow.

In her attempt to avoid the shadow attack Koneko neglected to apply chakra to her puppet causing it' claws to retract and revert to normal. At that moment, she began to slow down, her chakra reserves drained by the technique.

"So, that move takes a lot out of you, huh?" Shikamaru asked as his shadow began to catch up

"Yeah, but your' running on empty too," Koneko grinned as the shadow justu dropped back toward Shikamaru

"I guess your' right," he said smirking

"Straight Taijutsu?" Koneko asked still wanting to show off her skills as she resealed her large puppet

Suddenly, her entire body stiffened and she lost control of her body. She began to struggle as best she could giving grunts of effort but, no matter what she tried, she couldn't move a muscled.

Slowly Shikamaru let Koneko turn and see that his shadow had connected to hers having been captured while she was distracted sealing her puppet, "I guess I still had a bit left in the tank," Shikamaru said with a smug grin

He began to raise his hand and made Koneko forfeit the match as her body matched his.

"Winner by forfeit, Shikamaru Nara!" Hayate shouted

 **~In the Balcony~**

"It was a good effort but the Nara are as clever as a fox when it comes to battle strategy," Hana said placing a reassuring hand on Koneko' shoulder

"Yeah, and don't worry, if I fight him in the finals I'll beat him for you," Akiro said messing with his sister' hair

"Thanks, big brother but please, Don't touch the Hair!" she shouted at her brother who backed up with his hands raised in defense

"Did you get that too?" Naruto whispered to Natsu just loud enough for his brother to hear

"Oh, hell yeah, that trick will come in handy one day," Natsu said with a peace sign

" _What are they on about_?" thought Fuu to her tenant

" **I guess they are worthier than I thought, Kyuubi bestowed his Dojutsu to them, he only gives that to a container he truly respects** ," Chomei chirped with awe Fuu nodding in understanding with a mental note to watch their matches

Kakashi glanced at the two and their little conversation but just shrugged it off as he got back to reading.

With the third match of the preliminaries completed everyone turned their attention to the large screen on the back wall, above the large statue. The screen was rolling through competitor' names gradually slowing down until it showed two names.

 **~Sakura Haruno V.S. Ino Yamanaka~**

Everyone turned to the owners of the names some waiting for them to get to the arena and start their match. The Konoha Genin crowding the banisters were looking at the next competitors with pity, save for some of Team Gai, and worry.

"Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka, please make your' way to the arena floor so we can begin the fourth match!" called Hayate from his spot at the stage

Ino and Sakura shared a look, before confident smiles graced their faces, and nodded to each other. It was only a small gesture but it was enough to quell the worries of the other Konoha Genin who all sighed in relief

"Go get her," Natsu said softly giving Ino a peck on the cheek

"You know it!" Ino chirped with a wide grin

 **~Arena Floor~**

"Competitors, ready?" Hayate asked, receiving nods from each, "Begin!"

Ino and Sakura stared each other down and slowly began to circle around each other. They both raised their hands in very similar Taijutsu stances.

Ino suddenly lunged forward going at Sakura with a roundhouse kick to the head. Sakura squatted low and narrowly dodged the kick. She then shot up to deliver a punch to Ino' chin but, Ino saw the punch and caught it, mid-air, using Sakura as a fulcrum for a graceful flip before dealing a vicious axe kick to Sakura' side sending the pinkette flying back toward the wall.

Ino landed from her flip and pressed the advantage lunging forward toward Sakura and delivering a Yamazuki punch to her rival' face and abdomen.

Sakura staggered back from the punch and smirked while she wiped a small trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth. She looked up to see Ino back in her stance and impressed by Sakura' strength. Sakura returned to her own stance and lunged forward dealing a flurry of blows to Ino who tried to block but couldn't keep up with the sheer number of punches.

Sakura pressed her advantage and knocked Ino back with a kick to the sternum. Ino staggered for a second but caught Sakura' follow up kick and delivered a punch to Sakura' thigh. Sakura reeled back from the sudden pain in her leg and was caught off guard by Ino' kick to her ribs.

Sakura was sent spinning by the kick but quickly recovered and dropped into Ino' guard before delivering a punch to Ino' left bicep. Ino winced from the pain and jumped back to gain some distance and catch her breath.

"You're better than before," complimented Sakura wo was slowly catching her breath

"Back at'chya," Ino said with a smirk panting heavily

Suddenly both girls began to flash through hand-signs at blinding speeds. They built up elemental chakra in their lungs preparing to fire. Each brought a hand up to their mouths and fired their attacks.

"Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!" Sakura shouted in her mind shooting a series of small flame bullets toward Ino

"Suiton: Suidan no Jutsu!" Ino called as she shot an equal volley of water bullets at Sakura' jutsu causing a thick cloud of steam to emerge covering most of the arena floor. Both decided to press the advantage and rushed forward with their fists raised. The two attacks met in the middle of the arena sending both girls spiraling back several feet rendering them unconscious.

Hayate moved forward and checked the pulse of both girls, "Both competitors have been knocked out no one moves forward!"

 **~Stands~**

"Pathetic," grunted Neji while he sneered down into the Arena at the two girls being carried back up by their Jonin sensei

"They couldn't even accomplish decent Taijutsu and their Ninjutsu was weaker still, is that the limit of a Kunoichi?" Neji sneered before a slight chill ran down his spine

"Neji, I would be very careful about how you talk when you use vague, all-inclusive terms," spoke Tenten from behind him her usually cheery face now twisted with anger the female Jonin showing similar signs and both Uzumaki brothers were staring daggers at him from across the arena

"Right, I will be more careful in the future," Neji said his pale skin now even paler

"Besides, I think that was more of a friendly spar than an all-out fight," Tenten said her demeanor flipping back to her normal self

"Yeah, those two are way stronger but they are also almost equal in skill and power so when they spar this is the result," Natsu said from behind them

"At least their spars got more interesting," Naruto added from his brother' right

Neji and Tenten both jumped slightly before turning around ready for a fight

"Hey, easy I just wanted to tell you they aren't as weak as they seemed they just hate to fight all out against each other," said Natsu, his hands up in a defensive manner,

"Oh, look who's next," Naruto said distracting the two Genin enough for the Uzumaki to Shunshin back to their teammates

 **~Temari of the Dessert V.S. Tenten~**

"Will, Temari of the Desert and Tenten of Konoha please come to the arena floor!" Hayate called looking up lazily toward the stands

Temari smirked hopping atop her fan and gliding down into the arena while Tenten simply jumped down landing with a small thud.

The girls stared each other down waiting for the call to start

"Combatants ready?" Hayate asked arms raised

Both girls nodded to him their eyes unwavering as they glared daggers back and forth

"Begin!" shouted Hayate as he jumped back

 **~Canon Fight~**

The fight was eventful at first with Tenten' use of her twin scrolls and ninja wire but against a wind user like Temari, projectiles were worthless and were either stopped or sent flying back with more force and deadly precision. Tenten was sent to the temporary medical station in the tower and Temari moved forward. Currently, most of the remaining fighters were staring intently at the large screen. The anticipation began to build up in the arena becoming almost palpable as the screen cycled through the list of remaining competitors.

 **~Hinata Hyuuga V.S. Neji Hyuuga~**

"Will the competitors please make their way to the arena floor!" shouted Hayate looking from one balcony to the other

"Good luck Hinata-hime," Naruto said sweetly giving her hand a gentle squeeze before pecking her on the cheek, "I know you can win, Believe It!"

"Thank you, Naruto-kun," Hinata said with a sweet smile

Neji glared across the arena at Hinata. She looked back with a small smile on her face meeting his rage with her kindness and forgiveness. Which only served to intensify his stare. Once they reached the arena floor Neji began to give Hinata a menacing sneer and began to chuckle lightly.

"Well, little heiress, it looks like today your' luck has run out for fate has chosen me to be the victor of this fight and for you to become a bloody pulp," Neji said coldly with a sneer before getting into his Gentle Fist stance

"Fate is a fickle thing Neji-nii-san, one moment it may smile upon you," Hinata said in a confident tone sliding into her own stance

"And then she spits in your' face," Hinata said with a kind glare as her Byakugan flared to life

"Fighters ready?" Hayate asked receiving nods from both fighters

"Begin!" Hayate called before leaping back

" _She can use the Byakugan without a hand-sign? I guess she has been practicing_ ," Neji thought, not bothering with his own Byakugan, before he lunged forward with an over charged Juken strike aiming for Hinata' ribs and the fleshy organs beneath

Hinata simply smirked watching Neji' strike come closer before she grabbed him at the wrist deflecting his attack with one hand before applying a juken strike to his shoulder with her elbow

"Gah!" Neji groaned in pain as he jumped back glaring at Hinata

"That was no gentle fist move!" Neji growled as he returned to his stance before Hinata threw a kick at his knee sending a blast of chakra into the joint and forcing him to the ground

"That's because it's my own style mixed with Naruto' offensive tactics," Hinata said smiling down at the kneeling Neji aiming a juken strike for his shoulder

"I am still fated to win this! I have not suffered at the hands of the Main Branch this long only to lose here!" Neji shouted before jumping back away from the incoming assault

"I already told you, today is the day Fate has decided to spit in your' face when she pitted you against me," Hinata said her eyes saddened by her cousin' rantings

Neji pressed forward delivering a flurry of juken strikes. Aiming at Hinata' major chakra points trying to get this over with quickly

Hinata easily dodged his strikes flowing from one foot to the other almost dancing around Neji and his rigid form. As she dodged she would attack with counter Juken strikes to his chakra points while blocking and deflecting his strikes expertly avoiding hits to her own chakra points.

As the fight went on Neji' breathing became more and more ragged his movements and his reaction time slowed to a crawl. His arms became heavy and went numb. He stood on shaky legs just barely able to hold himself upright. He blinked and looked down at his body with his Byakugan eyes showing him the many closed chakra points throughout his arms and upper body and the few throughout his legs.

"How did you close so many? You barely touched me!" Neji roared trying to force his arms to work and his legs to move

"You never dodged a single strike nor did you effectively block any," Hinata said with a sigh while Neji still looked utterly confused, "You were so sure that my strikes were weak and wouldn't do any damage so you took them full force,"

"I am the strongest Hyuuga to ever be born into the clan! I was destined to surpass you and the rest of the Main Branch!" Neji roared, his eyes filled with hatred, before he fell forward his face hitting the cement floor hard

Hinata slowly walked forward with a warm smile on her face. She reached down and flipped Neji over, "I never thought less of you or any member of the Branch Family. I see you all as the equals of the Main Family, separated from them sometimes by mere moments. You are strong but like me the clan' traditions and customs have held you back. I wouldn't be half this strong without the training I received from Naruto-kun and my team,"

Neji took in her words his face shifting from confusion to anger and finally to realization.

"I hate to admit it, but you're right," Neji said as though he had eaten a piece of charcoal

"I am only this strong because of Gai-sensei and his hellish training. If it were up to the clan I would be as weak as they see you," said Neji with a solemn face as he looked up to the warm smile of Hinata and new realization hit him like a sack of bricks

"I'm sorry for not seeing how different you are from the others, but I still can't forgive your' father and the Main Branch for what happened to my father," Neji said his face becoming a mix of anger and sorrow

"I wouldn't expect you to, but will you at least treat me like family should?" asked Hinata with an overly sweet smile

"I guess I could try," Neji muttered looking away from her as best he could with his current position

"Winner, by way of knockout, Hinata Hyuuga!" shouted Hayate while the medics took Neji to the infirmary

 **~Stands~**

"Great job, Hinata-hime!" Naruto shouted while bringing her into a tight hug

"Thanks Naruto-kun it was easier than I thought it would be, at least physically, emotionally that was a lot," she said with a forlorn glance toward her cousin as he was rushed from the arena

"Hey, you didn't do any permanent damage and you had a heart to heart so, it'll all be fine, Believe It!" said Naruto with a wide, honest, grin

"I guess you're right," Hinata said with her own grin before pulling Naruto into a small kiss

"Great fight, Hinata-chan!" said Natsu after the couple had their little moment

"Thanks, Natsu-san," said Hinata

"Yeah, great work Hinata!" Ino said smiling and wrapping her arms around Natsu'

"So, did you like my jutsu?" Ino asked with a sweet smile

"Yeah, it was amazing!" Natsu cheered giving Ino a chaste kiss causing the blonde to blush, "But not as amazing as you,"

"Thanks," Ino replied her blush still prominent

"Yeah, great job, Hinata!" Sakura said with a wide smile

"That was pretty good, given your' past performances," Sasuke complimented shocking most of the Rookie 12 before Naruto spoke up again

"Wait! You're dating Ino!?" Kakashi gasped in shock getting a raised eyebrow from Asuma and an amused giggle from Kurenai and Anko

"Took you long enough," Natsu and Ino said together in a simultaneous sigh before smiling warmly at each other

"I just never thought that you would break through her Sasuke vision or that the 'Gossip Queen of Konoha' would date the undeserving pariah," Kakashi explained with a bit of shock

"Well it helps that he took the time to help me become a better kunoichi and actually showed an interest in me, unlike a certain someone," Ino replied giving a light glare to Sasuke

"What can I say, fangirls aren't matriarch material," Sasuke replied in a stoic tone

"Be that as it may, after Nami no Kuni me and Ino went out on a date and then began training together over the last two months along with some of the other teams," Natsu explained

"I can understand that, can't believe I never noticed it," Kakashi replied

"So, what happened to Neji' dad and why does he blame the Main Family?" Naruto asked with a serious tone

Hinata became nervous and began pressing her fingertips together while looking around at her friends and teammates and more importantly Naruto who took her hand and gave it a light squeeze telling her everything would be alright. His kind eyes full of warmth telling her that no matter what he would stay by her side

"O-okay," Hinata began her stutter returning, "D-do you all remember when Kumogakure sent those ambassadors to the village and there was that big fair?"

Everyone nodded remembering the events of the fair Natsu and Naruto shivering at the memory of the early fox hunt that year when the entire village kissed sobriety goodbye for the day.

"Well, that night, after the treaty was signed the lead ambassador entered the Hyuuga compound and tried to kidnap me," Hinata explained much to the surprise of her friends and Naruto

"Why didn't you tell me before Hime?" Naruto asked slightly hurt, he could understand that she wanted to hide her past pains but he also wished she would share

"Because of what happened later," Hinata said tears forming in her pale eyes

"The ambassador didn't even leave the compound when my father found him, and killed him on the spot with a single juken strike to the man' heart," Hinata said pained by the memory

Everyone was shocked by the revelation save for the Jonin sensei still standing near the group. Many of the Genin still didn't understand how it all connected back to Neji' father or the palpable resentment he showed the main family.

"After that Kumogakure was outraged and called for my father' head as reparations for the murder of their Jonin. They didn't even comment on the attempted kidnapping and wanted my father delivered to them so he could be executed publicly in Kumogakure. The clan knew though that the whole thing was a ploy to obtain the Byakugan by Kumo and so they made a decision. My late uncle, Hizashi Hyuuga, was executed here in Konoha and his body was sent to Kumogakure. The difference was never noticed by Kumo since he and my father were identical twins and Kumo would never know that Hizashi' eyes were sealed," Hinata looked up to see her friends faces filled with shock and confusion

"You see the Branch Family and Main Family have another difference, this one imposed for generations by the Main family. If someone is born into the Branch family they are branded with a seal called, "The Caged Bird Seal" it gives the Main Branch 'control' over them and if they die the eyes of the branch members are rendered useless by the seal along with their reproductive organs." Hinata finished sniveling slightly while clutching Naruto' hand

The rest of the Genin were shocked to say the least. They never knew such a thing had happened nor that such a seal was being used by Konoha clans. They looked at Hinata and could feel her sorrow for her fellow clansmen. They saw in the way she stood before them that she wanted to end the suffering and change it all. They all realized that they couldn't hate her for what her clan did, nor did they want to, they simply reached forward and brought her closer reassuring her of their friendship.

" _That is so fucked up! How could Kumo get away with that bullshit or the Hyuuga with that seal_!" Fuu thought in outrage

" **The Hyuuga won't for long, I can see it in that girl, and Kumo struck soon after the Kyuubi' rampage when an attack of meager proportion could have crippled Konoha, allies or no** ," Chomei replied with an aggravated buzz

" _I guess that makes sense and I hope you're right about that girl_ ," Fuu replied with a kind smile

"I think you did well, Hinata-san, in everything," Fuu said with a kind smile

"Thank you, Fuu-san," Hinata replied with her own smile and Naruto nodded his appreciation toward Fuu

"You know you don't have to go through this alone, right?" Naruto asked softly as the others released the embrace Hinata gave a small nod before hugging Naruto a little tighter

Kurenai watched the whole thing with a soft smile, "He really is such a good influence on her,"

"You did very well against one of Gai' students and even better since he was the "Hyuuga Prodigy," said Kurenai with a small smile

"Thank you, Kurenai- sensei," Hinata said with a respectful bow

"Now, Naruto," Kurenai said with mock anger

"Yes, Kurenai-sensei?" Naruto asked sheepishly the Jonin' tone making him nervous

"I hope you can keep up with Kiba in a battle he may be a bit brash but he's no slouch, I made sure of that" Kurenai said with a smirk while pointing at the screen

"What are you…" Naruto was about to ask before he turned to see the screen

 **~Naruto Uzumaki V.S. Kiba Inuzuka~**

"Will both competitors come to the arena floor!" Hayate called asking with a tone that said otherwise

"Oh, come on!" Naruto whined while he looked at the screen, "I get Dog Breath?"

"Hey! We'll see who should be complaining when you get your' midget ass down here! Maybe after this I'll take Hinata from you when she realizes how much of an Alpha I am!" shouted Kiba from the arena floor Akamaru barking in agreement

"Why you, I won't take it easy on you!" shouted Naruto as he jumped down from the stands

"Don't use anything too flashy, yet, little bro!" Natsu said placing a hand on Naruto' shoulder

"We gotta have something to show off in the finals!" he said with a cocky smirk plastered across his face

"I know, I know, but I won't go easy on him, especially after what he said about Hinata," grunted Naruto as he pouted and jumped down to the arena floor landing gracefully on one foot

"Lose the weights then!" shouted Natsu surprising the stadium

" _If he's wearing weights…_ " Kurenai thought in mild surprise

" _Then the question is…_ " thought Kakashi who glanced up from his book

" _How long have they been wearing them_?" thought Sakura and Sasuke while she thought back to their fights in the forest, " _Cha! If they wore it then they're dead_!"

" _Great, that should make a point_ ," thought Naruto with a frightening grin

" **Remember Kit, if you kill him you're out till next year and you're left with even fewer friends** ," warned Kurama-Yang with a growl,

"I'll keep that in mind," Naruto smirked his hands coming up into a ram sign before a slight blue glow lit up around his body before dimming just as quickly

Naruto flexed his muscles lightly before letting his arms hang at his sides. A slight clicking sound reverberated through the now silent arena as one by one different pieces of, what many thought was battle armor, fell from Naruto' body. Two gauntlets fell from his wrists and with a shake of his legs identical manacles fell from his shins.

Time seemed to slow in the arena as the weights hit the ground creating a large crater around Naruto and leaving many in the stands quite simply, speechless.

 **~Stands~**

" _Minato, can you see this your' sons are so much like you, and as crazy as their mother_ ," the Hokage thought with a melancholic expression, " _I truly have failed your' legacy if they were this strong beneath my very nose and so resourceful_ ,"

" _It's like they were training with Gai or Kushina-sama, Sensei you would be proud_ ," Kakashi thought amazed by the display until his visible eye narrowed focusing in on some faint kanji on the discarded manacles

"Resistance seals across our bodies and gravity seals on each manacle, all of which change as we get used to them and are interconnected. Thus, the manacles releasing with the release of the resistance seals," Natsu said casually as though talking about the weather while Ino turned to him incredulously

" **The fox' containers are surprisingly resourceful, watch out for them** ," Chomei said to her container

" _I doubt they are a threat to me they seem nice and friendly_ ," Fuu replied with a smile, " _But thanks for worrying, it's nice,_ "

" **Of course, Fuu-chan, and don't worry if you fight one of my siblings I'll help** ," Chomei chirped back with an excited clicking sound

" _Thanks, Chomei-chan_ ," Fuu thought before she felt a wave of KI behind her

Suddenly behind everyone a slight chill permeated the air causing the men of the group, specifically those with red hair, to shiver,

"Natsu, have you and Naruto been wearing those the whole test?" Sakura asked so sweetly that it made Natsu nearly regret his own birth

"Now, Sakura please be reasonable…" Natsu whimpered through rattling teeth as fear took hold

" _I stared down Orochimaru twice and this Banshee scares me, what's wrong with me_?" Natsu thought while Sakura inched closer

" **I don't know but she is definitely pissed** ," Kurama-yin said with a snicker

" _Thanks for the help, Fuzzball_." Natsu muttered mentally preparing for the punch

"Because if you were then you put me and Sasuke in danger in the forest," Sakura said with a sweet smile while cracking her knuckles

"We may have but we didn't have time to deactivate them during those fights," Natsu defended

"Plus, we did manage to protect you and Sasuke mostly even with them," Natsu said hoping to placate the raging pinkette

"But, you could have done it with less effort and without Sasuke-kun being hurt if you didn't wear them," Sakura said before hitting Natsu hard in the back of the head

"I'm sorry and I deserved it but just watch the results," Natsu smirked while nursing the fresh head injury

"Are you sure your' brother will win?" Fuu asked with an inquisitive look

"Of course, Kiba has trained and is stronger than in the academy but Naruto has trained harder and was holding back in the academy after we started training harder," Natsu explained with a proud smirk, his eyes glued to the arena

"We'll see," Kurenai said keeping a firm gaze on the arena

 **~Naruto V.S. Kiba~**

"Ha, you think a bit of weight is going to scare me off!" Kiba shouted still not noting the severity of his predicament

"Both combatants ready, Begin!" Hayate shouted before jumping back to avoid stray attacks this time

"Let's go Akamaru!" Kiba shouted before he and Akamaru each ate a small pill

" _Food pills, eh_?' Naruto mused in his mind

" **They plan to use that accursed '** **Man Beast Clone** **' technique of the Inuzuka. I remember it from when your' mother would spar with the current clan head** ," Kurama-Yang grumbled " **That Jutsu was infuriating until she got fast enough to dodge it** ,"

" _Thanks for the tip, you think I should show them my version_?" Naruto asked smirking

" **Go for it**!" Kurama-Yang laughed with a wide grin

Naruto nodded before pulling his hands up into a ram sign again his eyes closed in concentration

Kiba took this chance and raced through a chain of hand seals before squatting low with his back almost flat shouting, "Beast Mimicry!"

His features began to change slightly. His pupils becoming dark slits and his teeth becoming fangs. His hair became longer and wilder, and his nails grew out becoming sharp like the claws of a large wolf. He looked feral to say the least.

"Now Akamaru!" Kiba called as Akamaru' fur became a menacing red and he jumped onto Kiba' back

"Man-Beast Clone!" Kiba shouted and in a puff of smoke Akamaru transformed into a perfect copy of the feral Kiba

" **Called it** ," Kurama-Yang smirked

"Whatever fuzzy, Watch this!" Naruto shouted out loud receiving a glare and vicious growl from Kiba while many of the spectators began laughing

"Kitsune Style: Kyuubi no Mai!" Naruto shouted before red aura engulfed him for a mere moment before it sunk back into him his features becoming a feral reflection of his normal self.

His blond hair grew out reaching his shoulders, his canine' becoming elongated and fang like while his lips receded back and became black like those of a fox. His nails became long claws and he seemed to grow and inch or two. His whisker like marking became darker and more visible but the greatest change were his normally cerulean blue eyes. Black marking now resided below his eyes highlighting them and his once cerulean blues were now a deep blood red with long vertical black slits.

"W- what's that a c-cheap copy of my clan' technique? Ha you can't even beat me with your' own style?" Kiba shouted trying to put all the Macho he could into his voice while his knees continued to shake and Akamaru took a single step back

"Oh this, I guess so, but I like to think I gave it my own flare," Naruto said calmly before he disappeared in a burst of speed

On instinct alone Kiba ducked down just barely dodging the chop to the back of his neck before lunging away and rolling to his feet trying desperately to spot his enemy. Kiba began to feel a small tremor of something deep in his chest. He couldn't understand the situation. For so long he was the Alpha, the predator, the one who could take what he wanted and back himself up with his own hands. But now, here against Naruto, he finally understood what it meant for the predator to become the prey.

Naruto lunged forward delivering a punch to Kiba' stomach sending the Inuzuka into the wall. Naruto then spun around and caught a punch from Akamaru before smirking and throwing the pup into his master, ending the jutsu with Kiba and Akamaru groaning in pain but very much alive and well.

The stands were left in shock. The match had taken mere moments with Naruto destroying Kiba through sheer speed and strength. The fight left even Hayate speechless for a moment before he realized what had happened.

"Winner by knockout, Naruto Uzumaki! We need some medics in here!" Hayate shouted to the still dumbfounded stands

The genin looked down with utter shock at their friend as he changed back into his normal self and replaced his weights before reactivating his various seals. The shock in their faces quickly gave way to amazement and awe as Naruto walked back up to the stands with a satisfied smile on his face.

He frowned at the various looks he received from his friends, "What? I know I said I wouldn't go easy on him but I still didn't go all out,"

Hinata was the first out of her stupor and she walked over to Naruto giving him a tight hug, "Great match and thanks for ending it quickly,"

"Of course, Hime, he may be a jerk, but I know where to draw the line," Naruto said smiling before he looked up to see the rest of his friends slowly coming back from the shock of his display

"Great work little bro!" Natsu cheered happily, "I wasn't expecting you to pull out our Taijutsu though,"

"Well, I figured that Kiba was going for the 'Man Beast Clone' so I thought our version would counter nicely without giving much away," Naruto explained with a hand to his chin

"Troublesome, just when I think I know your' strength you guys skyrocket again," Shikamaru whined while giving the brothers a friendly smile, "And since when are you so analytical, Naruto?"

"Since about two years ago, when I got serious about my mental training," Naruto said with a shrug

"Wait, your' Taijutsu so Natsu you can use it too?" Ino asked with wide eyes

"Yeah, it is based on the Inuzuka maneuvers but with some variation to incorporate our tricks of the trade, if you will," Natsu explained with a foxy grin

" _Incredible_ ," Kakashi thought, " _They really are a frightening combination of Sensei and Kushina_ ,"

" _Since when can that boy control the Kyuubi' chakra to such an extent_?" Hiruzen thought with worry while staring up at the boys

"They didn't reveal much about themselves other that their ridiculous training and their control," Kankuro grumbled while his sensei sneered across at the two brothers receiving a smirk from the red haired one

"They will fall before Gaara," Baki said in a hushed tone

The screen above the arena began cycling through names again before landing on another unlikely matchup

 **~Choji Akamichi V.S. Haku Momochi~**

"Competitors please enter the arena!" Hayate called

Haku and Choji entered the ring slowly. Choji pulled out a bag of chips and blazed through it while Haku stood calmly with one hand on her zanpakto and the other forward ready to block or attack.

"Fighters ready, Begin!" Hayate shouted before dropping his arms and backing up

Haku dashed forward in a burst of speed closing the distance between herself and Choji in a matter of seconds. She drew back her fist and delivered a right hook to hi solar plexus, forcing the air from his lungs, before sending him flying with a roundhouse kick.

Choji flew across the arena tumbling further from his opponent until he hit a wall. The room seemed to spin around him as his eyes slowly came back into focus. He quickly regained his bearings and was just barely able to dodge a senbon to the shoulder as he got back to his feet. Choji quickly ran through handseals before shouting,

"Expansion Jutsu: Human Boulder!" expanding his rotund figure even further becoming akin to a giant ball with his hands, feet, and head disappearing into the new mass like a turtle into a shell

"That won't help you," Haku said coldly glaring at the Akimichi heir,

"You've just made yourself a bigger target," Haku added before throwing another barrage of senbon at Choji with one hand while drawing her zanpakto with the other

The boulder known as Choji seemed to sense the attack and began spinning with incredible speed deflecting the senbon barrage before charging forward at a very surprised Haku. She rolled out of the way coming to a rest before the wall she had thrown Choji into earlier.

"I can't let that attack hit me, lest I get turned into a frozen pancake, what can I do?" Haku thought before her eyes widened as she looked back at the wall behind her and began feezing the surface of the wall and the floor beneath her. The ice snaked it' way into every crack and crevice in the structure making it brittle and unstable

"Now to lure him in," Haku thought turning around to see Choji coming at her with incredible speed. Haku built up more Hyoton chakra within herself before releasing it in a path toward the approaching Human Boulder

The floor beneath Choji suddenly flash froze stealing away his traction and control but maintaining his momentum sending him like a curling stone down the frozen path straight into the destabilized wall just as Haku lunged away. Choji slammed into the wall with explosive force sending chunks of concrete and ice flying and forming a large dust cloud.

When the dust settled Choji' rotund figure was found in a Human Boulder sized hole in the wall, unconscious, Haku standing over him ready to react if he could still fight.

Seeing the state of the Akimichi heir Hayate raised his hand and shouted, "Winner by knockout, Haku Momochi! Medic!"

Haku gave a small sigh before sheathing her zanpakto and making her way up the stairs toward her friends and teammates, her chakra reserves low from the exertion of freezing so much ground

 **~Stands~**

Haku walked over to her teammates with a small smile on her face.

"That was incredible! Using your' ice to force him into the wall and through it!" Akiro praised giving Haku a warm embrace before he realized what he was doing, at which point he promptly blushed like a tomato and let her go

"Sorry," Akiro muttered turning slightly bashful

"No worries," Haku responded with a blush of her own the awkward tension growing between them broken suddenly by a blur of sandy brown hair

"Great job, Haku!" Koneko shouted breaking the small moment and bringing Haku into a tight hug turning her teammate' normally pale face slightly blue

"Thanks, Koneko," Haku gasped while glancing back toward Akiro, a blush still on both their faces

"Do you two need some privacy?" Koneko asked with a cheeky smile

"NO!" both shouted indignantly before turning to each other and blushing even harder

"By Kami! Will you two just go out already?" Hana groaned walking over to her team

"Sensei!~" both Akiro and Haku whined

"I have been training you two for months now and since day one you have been crushing on each other. I was going to let it grow and blossom on it' own, but now, it has been obvious for too long and I can't see another Naruto and Hinata situation so just go out!" Hana groaned looking at her blushing students

"Is that true, Haku-chan?" Akiro asked his eyes drifting toward his love interest

"I suppose it is, and you?" Haku asked glancing at him with a look in her eyes

Akiro gulped before nodding his head fervently not trusting his voice at first, "I'm not sure if it was day one…"

"It totally was," Koneko interrupted

"Be that as it may, I have developed feeling for you and I'd like to explore them, if you'll give us a chance," Akiro said with a warm smile as he turned to look her in the eye

Haku took a long moment to analyze what he said, searching his luminous blue eyes for any hint of deceit, and finding nothing but longing and acceptance. Whatever she chose he would accept, like it or not, and respect her decision, and that fact filled her with a warmth she hadn't felt in a long time

"I think that we may have more than a chance," She replied giving him a light embrace, which he returned

"Finally, now, with that out of the way you are all going to be training hard for the finals even if you aren't in them this year," Hana said placing a reassuring hand on Koneko' shoulder

"You'll get 'em next time," Hana said gaining a determined nod from her student

The Genin of Team 5 all smiled up at their sensei and nodded while Hana gained a sinister smirk, "We're going to be pushing harder than ever, you're advanced training starts as soon as we leave here,"

The three Genin all paled thinking of all the 'training' their Sensei had enacted upon them and the new fact that the 'training' they had been enduring up to that point had all not even been advanced it had been basic training the last six months.

"Well, we should watch this next match it should be quick but interesting," Hana said her sinister smile replaced by an analytical smile

The three looked at her confused before they turned to the monitor

 **~Shino Aburame V.S. Misumi~**

Shino and Misumi made their way down to the arena floor and stood across from each other. Misumi was in a low fighting stance with his hands flat one over his head and one in front of him. Shino stood relaxed with his upper body leaned back and his hands in his pockets his emotions were completely locked down. His posture left no openings for attack but serene.

The spectators took in the difference between the two fighters and while most would be worried by Shino' stance and his calm demeanor the Konoha shinobi knew better. They knew that he was serious about this match like every other match he had been in.

"Go Shino! You can do this!" Fuu shouted from the stands

"He'll win, I know it," Kurenai said with a confident her eyes glued to the arena receiving a nod fro the surrounding Leaf ninja

 **~Arena Floor~**

"You heard my comrades I cannot lose this match now," Shino said in his normal monotone his posture still completely relaxed

"I guess that's true but that doesn't mean I'm gonna let you win," Misumi sneered behind his veil and shades anger thick in his voice

"Fighters ready?" Hayate said with his arm raised, "Begin!"

Misumi dashed forward letting loose a lightning fast punch at Shino' head. Shino watched the punch come toward him and leaned his head to the side to avoid it letting the fist pass by harmlessly. Or so he thought, suddenly the punch turned in a sickening way and knocked Shino in the back of the head forcing Shino to duck low and deliver a swift uppercut to Misumi' chin.

 **~Stands~**

Natsu looked at the fight with intrigue seeing the move Misumi had just performed watching how his arm bent in the middle of his radius and ulna.

"His body shouldn't be able to move like that there aren't even joints in that part of his arm, that move was extremely serpentine, wouldn't you agree, Kakashi-Sensei?" Natsu said with smirk on his face but a serious tone when he said the term 'serpentine'

"Yes, it was quite flexible in ways that the average human shouldn't be able to move," Kakashi said with a nod which Naruto agreed with

The rest of the Genin didn't understood the subtle hint in the otherwise nonchalant statement.

 **~Arena Floor~**

Misumi watched the uppercut coming and slowly began leaning back allowing the punch to just graze him and flipped over into a squat. Misumi then lashed out with a leg sweep but Shino jumped over it and shot his legs down at his opponent' leg trying to break it and end the match. Shino hit Misumi in the knee and his leg swiveled around as though it was on a pivot.

"Your' leg is broken give up now or I will get serious," Shino warned in his normal monotone with some aggression

"You really believe me beaten by such a simple wound?" Misumi said with a smirk as he rose to his feet with his right leg twisted in a sickening way with his foot pointed backwards

Everyone looked at him confused by how he could stand let alone think about continuing the fight but to their shock, and the Jonin' astonishment, Misumi lifted his leg and his knee swiveled around and seemed to fix itself

"You see I haven't even been injured yet," Misumi smirked and lunged forward aiming a punch at Shino. "Now take this!"

Misumi' fist started to shoot forward before it was abruptly stopped. Misumi felt a strange sensation around his wrist and looked to see what was stopping him. He turned his head to see and his eyes widened in shock behind his glasses. On his wrist was a thick band of insects connected to a pile of bugs that was bigger than him held his arm back.

"Wh-what is this shit!?" Misumi shouted as he screamed trying to remove the bugs now attached to his arm, "Get them off me!"

"Surrender," Shino said coldly

Misumi looked at him incredulously his former shock gone before he began to feel his chakra slip away, "How are you doing this?"

"My insects can drain a person' chakra through their skin those bugs will drain you within the next minute," Shino said simply. "Now, surrender while you can still walk or wait until you pass out your' choice,"

Misumi looked from Shino to the bugs before he sighed, "Proctor, I surrender,"

"Winner by forfeit, Shino Aburame!" Hayate called raising Shino' arm while the bugs disappeared back into his body through various pores sending chills down the spines of most of the spectators save for the senior shinobi in the arena

 **~Stands~**

Shino walked back up the stairs to the landing and back to his teammates

"Good job keeping your' cool in that fight, Shino," Kurenai said congratulating her student on his victory with a warm smile

"Yeah, that last move was amazing Shino!" Naruto said slapping him on the back

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered, "That was fucking creepy,"

"That was an impressive strategy and an even more impressive execution," Natsu said with a warm smile

"Yeah! You kicked his ass!" Kiba shouted into Shino' ear, "Arff!" Akamaru yipped

"Thank you," Shino said in his monotone but with some warmth in it while he glanced over at Fuu with a concealed eye smile

"So, who's next?" Sakura asked receiving shrugs from the group

"I, Rock Lee, will be the next one to fight and with the other remaining contestants it is sure to be an exhilarating battle between them AND MY FLAMES OF YOOUUTTTHH!" Lee shouted while performing various warm up exercises and throwing random punches and kicks into the air

"That's right Lee, let your flames of youth shine!" Guy-sensei said with his nice guy pose both of them shouted while pumping their fists while their eyes burst into flames and the background turned to a massive bonfire

"YOOOUUUTTHHHH!" they both shouted before Tenten popped up behind them and conked them both on the back of the head

"Will you two shut up and look at the screen already!" Tenten shouted scolding her teammate and man-child of a sensei

Everyone turned to the screen and gasped when they saw the names displayed

 **~Natsu Uzumaki V.S. Gaara of the Desert~**

"This should be fun," Natsu said with a wide grin across his face as he began popping various joints before cracking his neck with several sickening pops in each direction

He then jumped down to the arena floor before grinning up at Gaara, who had yet to move, and gave a, 'Come here,' gesture before whistling a dog call

"Get down here little Tanuki, it's time you learn your' place," Natsu said adding a bit of blood lust to his words chilling the spines of many but not even getting a response from Gaara

Gaara glared at him before disappearing in a cloud of sand and rematerializing across from Natsu,

"Mother says you are strong, help me to prove my existence Hahaha!" Gaara cackled before glancing toward the proctor, who had his hand in his weapons pouch, and rolled his hand

Hayate nodded before coughing into his hand, "Right, fighters ready...?"

Natsu brought his hands into a half tiger seal and shouted, "Kai!" before several manacle released themselves from his wrists and ankle and he once more popped several joints before lowering his stance bringing his feet shoulder length apart and his left arm up and forward with his palm facing out and his right arm curled at his side while standing with his left side toward Gaara, who remained still with his face blank and his arms crossed

"Begin!" Hayate shouted before he jumped back onto the stands with a flip

"I will prove my existence and bath in your' blood!" Gaara shouted as he lunged forward striking at Natsu with tendrils of sand which left gashes in the arena floor where they struck. The tendrils flew about erratically creating a defensive wall around Gaara who moved forward at incredible speed

"I guess it's true what they say, the best defense is a good offense," Natsu said with a grin as the whips reached him but to the surprise of the Leaf shinobi and the utter shock of the Sand ninja the whips went right through Natsu distorting his image ever so slightly.

"A clone jutsu?" Gaara said, irritation filling his voice as his face contorted into a scowl, "Where are you Uzumaki!?"

"Right behind you," Natsu whispered into Gaara' ear a spike of sand suddenly erupted from the ground again impaling Natsu' image

"Missed me again, must be all the sleepless nights with your' blond friend up there," Natsu chuckled his voice coming from nowhere and everywhere

"I am his sister you Pig!" Temari shouted her grip on the railings intensifying

"Wow, that's sick man, does mommy know or is she in on the fun too?" Natsu taunted appearing behind Gaara in a flash of speed with the feintest bit of lightning arcing from his body

Gaara began to tremble in anger as his eyes became shadowed by his bangs before his body slowly became encased in a sand sphere

"I'll kill you for that and prove my existence with Mother' help," Gaara growled as the sand shell completely closed

"Wow~ the big bad Tanuki needs mommy' help to defeat the wittle fox? I thought you'd be tougher," Natsu taunted with an ethereal chuckle as he dashed around the arena leaving several afterimages

 **~Stands~**

Temari' grip on the railing suddenly loosened as her hands shot to her mouth with a gasp, "He wouldn't, not that Jutsu, not now!" Temari panicked as the sphere closed and her face switched from one of pure rage to one of complete horror and fear

"That little idiot, Gaara, what are you thinking?" Baki wondered as he gripped the railing in frustration, bending it slightly

Konkuro backed up slightly with his sister as memories of all the time Gaara had used this 'Forbidden Jutsu' came to mind almost making him piss himself

" _I haven't seen speed like that since Shisui Uchiha of the Body Flicker_ ," thought Kakashi while he watched the match stunned once more by his students

 **~Same time: Arena floor~**

"That won't save you little Tanuki!" Natsu shouted in a taunting tone creating two shadow clones who began to go through several hand selas, their chests puffing with chakra, before he dashed forward toward the sand sphere his hands flying through seals so fast they were nothing but a blur

"Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!" shouted the shadow clones releasing twin torrents of water upon the sand soaking it through and creating several large cracks across the sphere before Natsu' hands slammed into the sand construct

"Lightning Style: Electromagnetic Murder!" Natsu shouted as an electrical field erupted from between his palms covering the sand sphere in lightning chakra forcing it to crumble revealing Gaara whose eyes were wide with shock his right arm covered in sand with blue sealing matrixes and finger tips but still human in appearance with a nub of a similar tale below his gourd

"So, you were trying to transform, good thing I stopped you then," Natsu said with a small smirk as his hands sparked with electricity crackling from his knees and elbows down

"Because here's where the real battle begins," Natsu growled before he lunged forward delivering a devastating kick to Gaara' chin sending Gaara flying into the air before he jumped delivering a headbutt to Gaara' spine causing a sickening crack. Then as Gaara fell Natsu spun around delivering several juken strikes to Gaara' pressure points and then finishing with an axe kick which caused him to hit the ground so hard cracks spider-webbed out from the point of impact

"Danmaku no Rainotori (Thunderbird Barrage)!" Natsu called out mid axe kick before he gracefully landed on the ground next to Gaara readopting his initial fighting stance much to the confusion of the room

 **~Stands~**

"Why did he get back into his stance isn't Gaara out?" Sakura asked confused with several of the other Leaf Genin nodding in agreement to the question, " _Cha_ , _what_ _gives_?"

"You need to look closer at the cracks," Sasuke said with a look of shock on his face both at his teammates display and Gaara' resilience

"Yes, yes good job Sasuke," Naruto said with a slow clap, "You noticed something super predictable with those superior eyes of yours,"

"Don't you dare insult my eyes," Sasuke growled with a mock glare at Naruto

"When did I insult your' eyes? I just said you stated the predictable and now obvious answer to Sakura' question," Naruto said with a bored tone as he turned back to the fight

"What do you mean, Naruto?" Koneko asked with her head tilted

" _Man, she's cute_ ," Kiba thought staring over at Koneko,

"Gaara created a pillow of sand below himself at the last instant before he hit the ground reducing the amount of damage he received meaning he might be able to get back up," Kakashi said his little orange book put away and his eyes riveted to the battle

The eyes of the surrounding Genin widened as they all turned back to the arena floor where Gaara was slowly rising from the ground like a zombie raising itself from the grave. His face was perfectly split down the middle. One side was completely neutral showing no emotions. The other was twisted into a mad grin the corner of his moth reaching his ear and his eye bloodshot and dilated.

 **~Arena Floor~**

"You will pay for that Uzumaki!" Gaara yelled before a wave of sand washed down over him

Gaara stood there, in the middle of the arena, transformed once again into an even more grotesque version of himself. Half his face was covered in sand with large white fangs, sharp as daggers, with blue marking across it. His eye became yellow with a four-point star pupil with four black dots around the pupil with black sclera. His arm was covered in even more sand and now had blue tipped claws in place of fingers and his tail was now fully pronounced and composed of blue tipped sand spikes becoming a racoon tail. The rest of his body was covered in sand causing him to look incredibly fat from all sides.

"Now, Die Uzumaki! Hidden Jutsu: Sand Bullet!" Gaara shouted as he swung his clawed hand in a wide arc sending sand bullets straight for Natsu

Natsu smirked before he pulled out four strange two-pronged kunai which he dropped in a square around him before raising his hands in a ram seal creating a blue dome around himself seconds before the sand bullets hit him.

"Hiraishin: Guiding Thunder!" Natsu whispered as the dome closed in around him

Upon impact the sand bullets seemed to disappear into thin air before reappearing around Gaara hitting his still untransformed limbs hitting him hard and forcing him to spin in mid-air and fall to the ground.

"How did you do that!?" Gaara roared as he rose back up

"Come here and find out," Natsu taunted with a serene smile before he reached back and drew his Katana over his shoulder. He focused Kurama-yin' chakra into the blade engulfing it in a white light. Where once was an elegant katana Natsu' hand now held an exquisite archer' bow with various wave patterns itched into it and a red whirlpool above the grip on the front face. Natsu reached to where the bow string should be, but wasn't and instantly he felt a pull on his chakra as a string materialized. He pulled back on the string and a blue ethereal arrow materialized aimed directly at Gaara

Gaara roared before he hit himself in the stomach, "Wind Style: Air Bullet!"

Natsu smirked as the bullets came toward his barrier his eyes glowing a predatory yellow as he memorized the wind jutsu. Upon impact, again the bullets disappeared before reappearing before Gaara striking him in the chest and stomach before Natsu let loose a pair of arrows striking the now exposed flesh of Gaara' true body

Natsu' free hand twitched slightly two invisible strings of chakra connecting him to his arrows, "Now I have you just where I want you, Lightning Style: Tazer Bolt!"

The chakra strings alighted with Raiton chakra electrocuting Gaara' until he fell unconscious but remained standing, " _Now, I need to use this chance to fix that seal," Natsu thought using his connection to Gaara'_ body to feel out the seal

" _This seal is a piece of shit! There is nothing to stop that damn Tanuki from fucking it; container' mind up and destabilizing their psyche! It's nothing more than an inadequate storage seal_!" Natsu ranted as he used his chakra to add the necessary alterations to the seal in the brief moment still under the guise of electrocuting Gaara

" **Yes, this seal is quite inferior allowing my brother' insanity to infect the host** **unless they have the mental fortitude to resist, we will need to speak with them through the shared scape later** ," Kurama-yin said while he assisted in altering the Suna genin' seal

" _You know I'm almost surprised you know Fuinjutsu, human knowledge is usually so beneath you_ ," Natsu quipped with a smirk

" **I** **was** **sealed myself within two of the greatest seal mistresses the Uzumaki clan ever produced, I was gonna pick up a trick or two** ," Kurama-yin replied with his own smirk, "That should do it,"

" _Yeah, right on both counts, Fuzzbutt,"_ replied Natsu with a smile receiving a growl from Kurama-yin

It took less than a minute with Kurama-yin' help but by the end of it Natsu was nearing half a tank after all the jutsu and deflections he had used along with turning his very chakra into ink to rework the seal but it was worth it as the sand fell away from Gaara' form and he slumped to the ground the wounds in his stomach and shoulder already healing

As Gaara stood there unmoving Natsu' hand ignited in five kanji flames before he rushed forward and drove his fingertips into Gaara' stomach applying the "Five Element Seal" to his fellow Jinchuuriki sealing off his access to the Tanuki' chakra and leaving many shocked by his vicious display

The audience was dead quiet. Their mouths hung open and their eyes bulged as they stared at the combatants before them. Only a select few could believe what they had just witnessed some believed they had misheard the last attack and others still believed they were in some Genjutsu or illusion of some kind.

The Suna shinobi began rubbing their eyes before they made the ram seal and shouted, "Release" but nothing changed. Gaara still lay there in a heap with his sand seeming to be unresponsive and above him stood a yellow eyed Genin with long blood red hair smiling up at them waving.

"Sorry for the taunts I didn't mean any of it I just wanted him to get angry so I could catch him off guard, forgive me?" Natsu asked up to the Sand Ninja who nodded at him in their stupor before jumping down and picking up Gaara who was now unconscious

"What did you do to him?" Baki growled grabbing Natsu by his coat and lifting him up and glaring at the young boy

"Nothing much I just sealed beat your' trump card and won the match, no big," Natsu said nonchalantly while he placed his hands in his pockets

"Release him now or else…" Baki began raising one hand, which would seem empty to most, but to Natsu contained a small vortex of wind chakra blades

"Or else what you slice me to ribbons with that chakra vortex?" Natsu asked pointing at Baki' hand before waving his own sending a chakra blade into the vortex disrupting the funnel of wind shocking Baki even more before he was blinded by a red flash of light as Natsu disappeared and reappeared behind him holding a two-pronged kunai to Baki' lower back, "Or I could just gut you and leave your' student sealed and let him sleep,"

Baki' face switched from one emotion to the next from shock to anger to calm to realization and then to utter horror, " _That was the Jutsu of the Fourth Hokage! If this boy can execute it so easily then what was all of this, just a farce_?"

"Natsu! Release him now with both of your blades," the Hokage said in a stern tone before a second Natsu materialized at Baki' side as though from thin air

" _Where did that one come from_?" the Suna shinobi thought as the second Natsu poofed out of existence

"Good, now will you remove that seal?" the Hokage asked sternly but with a kind smile

"Are you sure, Hokage-sama? If I do he may attack again or worse if he doesn't wake up he may simply transform into the Tanuki completely," Natsu said his face completely serious

"Yes, I am sure you can do it without incident," the Hokage said with a serene smile

"As you wish, Hokage-sama," Natsu said before he turned to Gaara and lied him flat on the ground before he lifted Gaara' shirt and placed a jabbed his newly ignited fingertips into his gut removing his "Five Element Seal" from Gaara and rising with a bow to the aged Hokage

"That should do it," Natsu said wiping sweat from his forehead before turning to the stunned Suna ninja and the surprised Leaf Shinobi around him, "I removed my seal from his, which is crap and doesn't properly divert the chakra in the seal which is why he is possessed whenever he sleeps, Idiots,"

"Thank you, Natsu, but please don't insult our guests too much," the Hokage said with a warm smile

"Okay, but the difference is vast in terms of raw power but he is quite skilled with his sand," Natsu said with a cocky smirk

"Anyway, now that that is settled, Hayate if you will," Hiruzen said calmly

"Right, Hokage-sama, Winner by Knockout, Natsu Uzumaki!" Hayate called much to the ire of the Suna shinobi, "Now will Rock Lee and Fuu of Takigakure please report to the arena for the final match!"

"Finally I will make you proud Gai-Sensei! Watch as my flames of youth burn my opponent away!" Lee shouted with fire in his eyes

"Yes my student do your' best and let your' flames of youth shine!" Gai shouted

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Gai-Sensei~!"

"Lee~!"

Both men shouted before they moved to hug each other, tears in their eyes as a brilliant ocean sunset emerged behind the hugging, crying, pair of teacher and student horrifying everyone in the arena

"Kai!" shouted the still standing Suna Shinobi and Fuu alike while the entirety of the present Leaf Shinobi simply closed their eyes and hoped it would end soon

~Ten minutes later~

Natsu was finishing replacing his weights before he turned to Lee, "Lee you should take off your' weights before you go down there, she may not look it but she is strong and fast,"

"Thank you for the advice my most youthful friend but it is Gai-sensei' rule that I can only remove them in the defence of my friends and comrades," Lee said with a nice guy pose

"Gai-sensei, tell him to take off the weights, I don't want him hurt," Naruto said in a pleading tone

"Why would he need to remove them?" Gai asked with a raised caterpil…I mean eyebrow

Neither answered but they discretely raised seven fingers and nodded toward Fuu, who was stretching in the arena awaiting Lee, causing Gai' other bushy brow to raise in understanding beofore he nodded with a smile, "Lee remove the weights but you can't use your' trump card,"

"Hai, Gai-Sensei!" Lee exclaimed with determined look before he sat down and removed his leg weights handing them to Gai

"Now go and let your' Flames of Youth burn!" Gai shouted pointing into the arena

 **~Arena Floor~**

"Are both competitors ready?" Hayate asked

Lee stood with a hand behind his back and the other raised with the palm flat and up toward his opponent one foot forward standing straight Fuu stood with her hand balled into fists ready to guard her torso or attack while her feet where shoulder lngth apart with one forward the other back. Both nodded to Hayate who nodded back and shouted, "Begin!"

Before anyone could blink Lee disappeared from view and appeared directly behind Fuu delivering a devastating kick to her side and destroying her guard sending her flying across the arena. Fuu recovered mid-air and landed on her feet with a small grin

"I guess this will be harder than I thought," Fuu chuckled before she started going through hand seals,

"Hidden Art: Hiding in Scale Powder Jutsu!" Fuu shouted blasting out a blindingly bright powder from her mouth covering most of the arena, including a now disoriented Lee

Fuu then made a Tiger seal and released a spark of Katon chakra from her mouth igniting the powder and causing an immense explosion which sent Lee flying back into a wall.

As the smoke cleared the bystanders looked down to see Fuu panting lightly at one end of the arena and Lee at the other, standing on shaky legs with determination in his eyes

"That was a most youthful jutsu that would have defeated a less youthful opponent, now let me show you why I am the Genius of Hardwork!" Lee shouted disappearing in another burst of speed only to reappear and deliver a devastating kick to Fuu' chin sending her flying up toward the roof before Lee appeared above her delivering a brutal axe kick to her temple sending her rocketing to the ground.

Continuing with the momentum Lee made a mid-air summersault delivering a second kick to Fuu' side sending her to ground with even more speed and power creating a deep crater upon impact.

Lee backflipped away from the downed Jinchuuriki before getting back into his ready stance.

A feeling of dread and despair began to emit from the crater sending a chill down everyone' spine save for several of the Jonin and the other Jinchuuriki in the room. Slowly a form became visible behind the dust and debris surrounding the crater a low growl now accompanying the bloodlust.

A fierce wind whipped up from the crater batting away the dust cloud with a flourish revealing Fuu.

She was encased in a bubbling red chakra cloak with three tails coming from her shoulder blades and the base of her spine. Two were ethereal red tails in the shape of wings across her back while the third was a whip-like insectoid tail used for steering and balance.

" **Are you alright Fuu-chan**?" asked the concerned Chomei

" _Yeah, I'm annoyed but I'm in control_ ," Fuu replied with a smirk as she glared across at Lee

" **Just be careful your' body can't take this much of my chakra for long** ," Chomei replied

" _Understood Chomei-chan_!" Fuu replied mentally with a warm smile before she lunged forward and clotheslined Lee into a wall, "I'll make this quick,"

Fuu delivered another powerful punch to the dazed Lee before letting him fall forward into and upward knee strike sending him tumbling along the arena floor

"Are you done, or do you want some more?" Fuu asked while cracking her knuckles

"I will never surrender not until I prove that I am a splendid shinobi!" Lee shouted back as he rose on his shaky legs several cuts and bruise adorning his features

"Have it your' way," Fuu shrugged before she disappeared in a burst of speed and delivered a chop to the back of Lee' neck only for him to move with it and deliver a reverse heel to her face before finishing his flip and landing on his feet.

Fuu backflipped away several feet before regaining her footing and sending a mix of a glare and a smirk at Lee, "I'm impressed most can't saty standing after this much punishment, your' sensei must be a beast,"

"Yosh! Gai-sensei is an incredibly youthful instructor who pushes us to be better everyday, this is nothing short of a warm up!" Lee shouted as he lunged forward to deliver a punch to Fuu' abdomen only for her to catch it with a spin and flip him over her shoulder into the ground pulling him into an arm lock with her chakra tail pointed against the back of his neck

"You are strong but I had the better strategy and that is what makes a truly splendid Shinobi, proctor call the match," Fuu said with a warm smile praising the Genin beneath her and trying to motivate him

"Winner Fuu of Takigakure!" Hayate shouted receiving cheers from the stands

"You need a medic?" Hayate asked

"No, I am good Hayate-san, Lee?" Fuu replied as her chakra cloak dissipated

"I am fine but I am quite disappointed in myself for not being able to defeat you," Lee said with an exaggerated sigh

"You almost did, I just had a better strategy that allowed me to win," Fuu replied

"Yosh! Then I too will put more effort into learning tactics and strategy so that I may defeat even more opponents in the future and let my Flames of Youth burn even brighter!" Lee shouted with a clutched fist and fire in his eyes

"That's the spirit!" Fuu cheered giving him a pat on the back

" **Great match Fuu-chan you controlled my chakra perfectly and didn't get angry**!" Chomei chirped in Fuu' mind

" _Thanks, Chomei-chan_!" Fuu chirped back with a wide happy smile

"Now, all those who won their matches please step over to the stage," Hayate said in a calm manner

The winners and their sensei all walked over to the stage where Anko stood with a wooden box with a large hole in it.

"Now, Maggots, each of you is going to draw lots to determine your' opponents in the finals in one month!" Anko said so all the winners could hear

The winners stepped forward and drew a lot which was written down by Ibiki who then made a chart of the matches, "All right, here's how the finals will go!"

Round 1: Sasuke Uchiha V. Fuu of Takigakure

Round 2: Temari of the Desert V. Shikamaru Nara

Round 3: Hinata Hyuuga V. Shino Aburame

Round 4: Akiro Okami V. Haku Momochi

Round 5: Naruto Uzumaki V. Natsu Uzumaki

"These are the matches which will be held one month from now," the Hokage began, "You have one month to prepare for your' opponents and develop new skills which you have yet to show off,"

The genin looked at each other and then at their respective opponents. Some were happy at the 'Easy win' some were nervous and others were just excited to fight. Everyone left the tower and returned to the Village Hidden in the Leaves to prepare for the coming tournament and the fan-fair that was coming with it.

~Till Next Time~

 **~To be Continued~**

 **Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed the Preliminaries so far, I'm so sorry for the long wait but I spilled fruit punch on my keyboard and after I fixed that my computer was confiscated by my parents. I will get chapter fourteen up ASAP but I am not sure about how I am going to progress into the next stages of the canon events or what I can do.**

 **P.S. comment if I should just have Natsu sign the toad contract.** i forgot I captured kabuto meeting will change.

 **See you next time, Believe It! (-)/**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey Guys sorry I had to cut that last chapter short and for the long wait. I have recently found that I really really Really hate writing tournament fights. THEY'RE SO BOOORING! I loved your' reviews and am back to start the Finals, (^_^)/**

 **I would like to give special thanks to several reviewers for their help in some of the ideas I had for this chapter and some credit where credit is due for something I am using in this chapter.**

 **To Cursedcrow: Thanks for your input and help in my choice of summons for the twins**

 **To Lara5170: Thank you for your input on the relationship between the brothers and I know I said it before but Natsu is not the main and I have been trying to make him and Naruto even in skill and strength. I hoped to give Naruto more of the emotional bonding roles with major characters. Also, you don't know it but you'll see the idea you gave me!**

 **To Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: Thanks for the offer and the help it gave me**

 **To SSG-Goku3397; Story,** **Gogyo no Naruto** **: I never received a reply from you. I found the elemental seals you created very intriguing and it gave me a few ideas myself. I am going to use them here but know that I respect you and loved your story!**

 **To cr4zypt; Story, Legacy: I realized I forgot to mention you a few chapters ago. In his story he employed the concept of multiple branches of the sharringan line with different ways to activate the EMS. I didn't use that exact system but the original idea, for me at least, was your incredible story!**

 **Those are my thanks and the credit to everyone! Time for the fic (^_^)/**

 **Chapter 14: Torture is Training! The Finals Begin!**

 **~Outside Training Ground 44: Team 7~**

Team 7 left the tower after some short goodbyes, or long hugs in the case of the Uzumaki brothers, being lead back to the village safely by Kakashi. No one spoke on the short trek through the forest too immersed in planning for the finals.

Kakashi looked back to his Genin team, porn in hand. All of them were smiling at their own accomplishments in the exams so far. Sasuke had a confident smirk on his face with his hands in his pockets, while he thought over what he would need to take on Fuu in a month. Natsu and Naruto were already discussing what they would do for the month with wide smiles and animated nods and…something about developing new seals? Even Sakura was grinning ear to ear knowing that she wasn't holding her team back and was even keeping up with, if not surpassing, her rival and renewed best friend.

As they neared the village Kakashi put away his little orange book, causing all four Genin' guards to raise ever so subtly.

"Nothing's wrong, I just wanted to say how proud I am to be your sensei and that I want to ask you all to meet me at training ground 7 tomorrow at 7am, I'll be on time," Kakashi said with an eye smile while all four of his adorable little Genin looked at him in shock,

"I want to discuss your training and help you any way I can, and Naruto, Natsu, I'm sorry I wasn't of more help these last couple months but I want you to know, you have all exceeded my expectations and made your parents and village proud in these exams and in your convictions," Kakashi said with a proud smile behind his mask looking down at his beaming Genin with pride, "With that said, I want you all to take the rest of the day and relax while figuring out what you want to work on over the month and I'll see what I can do, see you four tomorrow, Ja ne!"

"Yes sensei!" they all replied with smirks before Kakashi disappeared in a small puff of smoke

"I think I'll go to the bathhouse for a soak after all that bullshit this week," Naruto sighed while stretching his arms

"Sounds good," Natsu replied stretching his back until he heard several satisfying cracks gaining a small grimace from Sakura

"I'm going to go through my family vault for some new jutsu that might help me against Fuu," Sasuke said with a thoughtful expression

"That's a sound strategy Teme, but it won't help when you have to fight me in the finals," Naruto said with a wide grin

"Oh ho! That's only if you can beat me Naru-chan!" Natsu said with an equally wide teasing smile

"I told you not to call me that~!" Naruto whined while trying to punch Natsu in the face

"It won't matter which of you I fight I'll still be the victor, for I am an Uchiha Elite," Sasuke said with a mocking tone toward the end

"Yeah, yeah, what are you going to do Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked glancing at the pinkette

"I'm going home to let my parents know I'm okay and then I'm going to take a nice long bath at home," Sakura said with a thoughtful look and a finger on her chin

"That's probably for the best and good job on that Katon jutsu," Naruto replied

"Yeah, especially since it's not your' natural affinity and yet you were able to fend off Ino' Suiton jutsu, which is her natural affinity," Natsu said with his hands interwoven behind his head

"It was impressive," Sasuke said while looking away

"Thanks, you guys, especially you, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura said with a wider smile reminiscent of her fangirl days

As they neared the village entrance the group split off going to their respective homes to relax for the day and plan for their month.

 **~Uzumaki Brothers~**

Naruto and Natsu made their way to their apartment, ignoring the pointed and hateful glares the whole way, with wide smiles on their faces. Thinking up new and exciting ways they could get stronger and how they would defeat each other with everything they could learn in this month. When they reached their apartment, they found a small box on their door step.

The brothers turned to each other with worried glances before making a pair of seal less Kage Bunshin and backing away down the stairs until they could just peer over the edge onto the landing.

They weren't too worried about the other tenants of the complex seeing as everyone else moved out the day the 'Demon Brats' moved in. Even the supervisor moved out before jacking up the rent just for the brothers.

Naruto peered over the edge and gave the clones a small nod. The clones approached the box cautiously checking for traps, seals, and other chakra signatures in or around the box. Natsu' clone took out a kunai before gently cutting the box open and folding out the flaps with a stony expression before he and the Naruto clone looked in and let out a sigh of relief. The clones turned to the original and dispelled with a small bow.

Naruto looked over at Natsu with a sheepish smile, "At least it's not a trap…this time,"

"Yeah let's go check it out," Natsu said giving his brother a small nod and a reassuring smile

The brothers approached the box again and picked it up to look inside. Inside were several books and scrolls on advanced, for normal shinobi, Fuuinjutsu along with a pair of toad key chains one was a small orange toad with blue markings down his back and around his eyes wearing a blue vest. The other was a chubby yellow toad with orange spots and marks around his eyes also wearing a blue vest.

"Well looks like we won't have to worry about our training this month, and I call the yellow one!" Natsu said with a sadistic grin while grabbing the yellow toad key chain

"Sweet! I get the orange one and we get to prank a pervert! This day just got a whole lot better!" Naruto cheered while Natsu unlocked the door

"Wait! We had better warn the girls!" Naruto exclaimed in realization

Natsu' eyes widened before a frown took over his features and he nodded. Each of them created another four Kage Bunshin who all nodded and ran off to warn their female friends that the most notorious perv in Konoha history, was in town.

That out of the way, they went inside to get ready for the hot springs. Natsu walked over to a blank wall in the apartment before biting his thumb and going through a short chain of hand seals and thrusting his palms into the door. Suddenly a small plume of smoke filled the room dissipating to reveal several large bookshelves. Naruto took the box of books and scrolls and created several clones, having them organize the new books among the shelves.

"We have one serious library, eh?" Naruto asked with a wide grin

"Yeah, Jiraiya has given us quite a few and with the jutsu scrolls we wrote down and copied from the public library, not to mention the Shinobi Basics collection, we have a serious vault of knowledge now," Natsu agreed, his chest puffing with a measure of pride

"Hard to believe two years ago we were both knuckleheads who couldn't throw a punch right," Naruto said with a melancholic smile

"You were a knucklehead, I was an adorable dunce," Natsu corrected with a grin before he wrapped Naruto into a headlock and proceeded to noogy the blond

" **You two have come far in two years. I am proud to call you my container, kit** ," Kurama yang chimed in giving Naruto a warm feeling through the seal

"Thanks, Kurama it means a lot," Naruto replied as his clones dispelled and Natsu resealed the library

" **You two will both only grow stronger this month and with good reason. I can still sense the fowl chakra of the Snake Bastard but I can't pinpoint him just yet** ," Kurama-yin added with a small growl

"Don't worry we'll work hard and protect everyone!" Natsu replied getting a nod from Naruto and both Kurama

The brothers turned to each other with determined looks on their faces before getting their bath stuffs and a fresh set of clothes. They each looked down at their key before switching the small dog key chains they had for their new toad key chains and locking their apartment up as well as activating several defensive seals before heading off to the bathhouse.

 **~Steamed Leaf Bathhouse~**

"You know? It really sucks how most people have only one natural chakra affinity and even worse that the average shinobi only has such small reserves," Naruto said contemplatively as he and Natsu neared the bathhouse taking the streets to relax a bit

Natsu looked up toward the sky thoughtfully for a few moments, taking in Naruto' words.

"Yeah, I mean if more shinobi had two natural affinities they would be more powerful and have more ways to not die in battle. It would be even better if there was some way to let them choose that second affinity or to give them one that would help them with a weak point. Like someone with a Suiton affinity could gain a Raiton or Fuuton affinity they would gain more offensive power while maintaining good defensive capabilities and allowing for all ranges of combat,"

"Yeah!" Naruto explained animatedly, "And if there was a way to increase the average shinobi' chakra reserves and control they could use more techniques with less chance of hurting themselves,"

"Maybe we could get the pervert to help us with our Fuuinjutsu research this month, it's not like we need to take much time in technique training and if we increase our weights and seals early we can up our physical training while we research," Natsu said with a calculative look

"I think you're right, do you think elemental Kekkei Genkai could be activated the same way the basic elements would be or that the base elements could be combined to 'activate' them?" Naruto pondered with a face that every woman in the village couldn't resist glomping…on anyone else

"Anything is possible with the right sealing arrays!" Natsu exclaimed dramatically

" **I believe your' mother was researching something similar while she was pregnant with you two** ," Kurama-yin added speaking in both boys' minds

"Yeah, I stumbled on it during our training along with dad' research into a special chakra seal designed to flare a person' chakra coils forcibly to increase their reserves over time," Naruto said sheepishly

"(Ughh) And why did you wait until now to mention it?" Natsu asked with a small sigh

"I didn't find it until the last week before the exams! By then we couldn't have researched it if we wanted! I figured that since the pervert's here and we have a month…" Naruto exclaimed before trailing off as they reached the hot springs

"I see your' point plus with Kage Bunshin we could squeeze a month of research into a single day," Natsu replied mimicking his brother' sheepishness before a sadistic smirk took over his features

" **Yes, that could work. You may also need to figure out some array to maintain an equilibrium between the elemental releases to ensure the stability of the various Elemental Kekkei Genkai** ," Kurama-yin said surprising both Uzumaki

" **What's with the shocked looks?** " Kurama-Yang asked

"We just never expected you to know so much about Fuuinjutsu," Naruto said in his iconic sheepish pose

" **When you are trapped in three generations of Fuuinjutsu masters and overhear the basics in two of those generations and then hear snip-its of the art being taught you tend to pick up a thing or two** ," Kurama-yang growled

" **Especially when the third ones let you listen to the whole thing in multiple perspectives** ," Kurama-Yin added with a chuckling growl

"That makes a lot of sense. Well let's get our baths out of the way then wait for the pervert to show up," Natsu said as he walked into the men' side and paid the receptionist with Naruto hot on his heels

 **~With Sakura and Sasuke~**

The remaining Genin of Team 7 were walking in silence through the village. Sakura kept glancing at Sasuke with concern as they neared the last turn before they would split.

Finally, as they neared the corner Sakura asked, "Sasuke-kun what are you going to do against Fuu? She is so strong and that technique she used, it was just like what Naruto and Natsu used against Orochimaru in the forest!"

Sasuke turned around and gave Sakura an appraising look. She had improved since they became a team, she hadn't held him back and had instead been the source of his greatest power. Had his body not reacted and rushed to her aid against Orochimaru they might both be dead or worse. His instincts to protect her had somehow done what all the hatred and anger he once held could never have accomplished.

That weird mark Orochimaru had tried to place on him only succeeded in making him even more sure of his choice. Letting her and their teammates in had saved his life, in more ways than he could ever repay.

"To be honest, I don't know yet. I know that I'm asking Naruto and Natsu for some of those weights and maybe one of those resistance seals they mentioned. I need to sharpen my current skills and bring up my Nature Transformations. I'm asking Kakashi-sensei tomorrow if he has any ideas," Sasuke said with a calculating look before he turned a small, brief, smile toward Sakura

"Thank you for the concern but for now let's just go home and rest," Sasuke said before turning down the road and walking home

"I guess he's right, maybe Naruto and Natsu can tell us more about that weird technique they and Fuu-san used," Sakura wondered aloud never noticing the blank masked 'ANBU' hiding amongst the surrounding shadows who quickly left to report to his master

 **~Underground Root Headquarters~**

A lone figure sat behind a desk laden with different documents and files each holding untold secrets that could destroy those they pertained to. The room was spartan in appearance with a single rug going from the desk to the main door of the space with several candles around the room being the only light source for the dark office, and a wide squat desk with the Konoha insignia on the front and the kanji for 'Root' in the center of the spiral.

The figure was an elderly man in his late sixties who had the top of his head and right eye wrapped in bandages along with his right arm in a sling. He had several wrinkles across his aging features, likely from scowling or frowning at most everything he saw, and an 'X' shaped scar on his chin. He wore a basic off-white kimono with a black wrap on over his right side held on with a purple belt.

This was Danzo Shimura, the 'former' leader of Root, a special ANBU unit which specialized in the darkest and most gruesome missions brought to Konoha or even in infiltration and espionage across borders. The group was 'disbanded' when Danzo was found to be accepting such missions or enacting them without the approval of the Hokage. Due to interferences in the proceedings he was forced to disband Root and was stripped of some of his political power.

In the years since the Yondaime' defeat of the Kyuubi Danzo had slowly but surely reclaimed his political standing and had returned Root to its former self, although much more secretive. To him Root was the backbone of Konoha and existed in the best interests of the village, as he saw them to be.

To this goal, nothing was out of line. Manipulating the civilian council, assassinating the former Raikage, setting Itachi to massacre his own clan behind the Sandaime' back. Whatever he did Danzo did it for his warped vision of the perfect Konoha.

Danzo had spent hours combing through his files and preparing his operatives for their part in the coming invasion. Most would think it unwise to side with a psychotic killer who wanted to burn down the village they loved, but not Danzo, no, Danzo saw this as an opportunity to transform the village. To usurp the foolish ideals set forth by the Sandaime and implement his own.

He was meticulously combing through his files, making sure there was nothing to connect himself to the invasion or Orochimaru. He was just finishing his meticulous analysis, a rare smirk on his face, when an ANBU with a blank mask appeared in his office.

"Speak," Danzo commanded in an emotionless tone

"Danzo-sama, it appears that Orochimaru has already made his move against the Uchiha, and his teammates, attacking them in the Forest of Death during the Second Phase. They survived the encounter but it appears that they were able to catch a source of information and the Hokage is already moving to prepare for the coming assault," the blank faced Root operative drawled out in a voice that was devoid of emotion of any sort

"Hmm, this could be troubling, any other news?" Danzo asked looking down on the kneeling operative

"Yes, it also seems that one of the Kyuubi Jinchuriki was able to manipulate the seal of the Ichibi container, he is now able to sleep without the demon possessing him. The plan is likely to fail if we are to simply rely on Orochimaru' snake summons," the operative continued in the Root drawl

"I concur," Danzo began before standing and walking around the desk, "I want you to observe the Ichibi Jinchuriki and return with any relevant information regarding it' sleeping while I prepare a remedy for this change,"

"By your word, Danzo-sama," the Root operative replied with his right fist against his left pectoral

"Indeed, dismissed," Danzo replied with no emotion before the operative melted into the shadows, "I will have to look closer into the Uzumaki,"

 **~Steamed Leaf Bathhouse~**

Naruto and Natsu were relaxing in the soothing waters of the outdoor bath when they heard a small giggle. Both brothers opened a single eye and shared a brief look before standing up with a simultaneous sigh and retying their wraps.

They each activated their Kitsunegan and began looking around for the source of the giggle before finding the distorted visage of a person squatting near the dividing wall where a small, almost innocuous hole was, they gave each other a curt nod before sucking in a large breath.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING YOU OLD PERVERT!" both brothers shouted at the top of their lungs

The distorted visage seemed to stiffen, his head turning to the brothers with a small 'eep' as his transparency jutsu failed and enough KI to scare the Ichibi began to amass on the opposite side of the wall. Natsu quickly grabbed Naruto by the shoulder before making several one-handed hand seals and whispering

"Suiton: Hidden in Water Technique!"

Both brothers were pulled into the large bath and concealed by the jutsu mere moments before a flurry of furious females swarmed through the dividing wall to attack the now revealed pervert. The man quickly scrambled to pick up his notebook and a small scroll before running, at speeds that would make Maito Gai blush, his barely holding wrap the only thing preserving what little dignity he had.

Natsu waited until the last of the females were gone before releasing his technique. The brothers shared a foxy grin while within their mindscapes Kurama rolled around the void of space laughing hysterically. The brothers shared a fist bump before they felt a flare of Killing Intent spring up behind them.

The brothers turned around robotically and came face to face with a familiar purple haired kunoichi holding a kunai in one hand with a sadistic smirk on her face and a small towel wrapped around her body.

"What's got you little gakis so happy, hmm?" Anko asked with a sickly-sweet tone that promised pain if she wasn't satisfied

"Well we just got a pervert who we owe a little payback chased by a mob of beautiful women who were so angry they ran into the village in towels… or less, to beat him to a pulp. Until right now I thought it was vengeance on the pervert but I just realized we should have tied him up and thrown him over the wall," Natsu said with an expression which mixed thoughtfulness, respect, and a healthy dose of fear all while the brothers each made a conscious effort to keep their eyes north of the Anko' towel

"Yeah, if we had done that none of those women would have left the bathhouse…we're so dead," Naruto added before realizing their situation and paling further slightly

" _Kurama, I hope you can heal us after this_ ," both brothers thought while Anko tilted her head in a thoughtful expression before a small smirk returned to her face

"I don't think any of them will be too mad it was an honest mistake to expose that damn perverted Sannin," Anko said before looking slightly behind the boys

"What do you say girls do we let the gakis off with a warning?" Anko questioned as the brothers turned around and paled at the sight of some of Konoha' deadliest kunoichi all wearing nothing but scowls and towels before they all nodded, mostly begrudgingly

"There see, you tried to do good just do better next time, or we may not be quite so forgiving," Anko said licking Natsu' cheek, sending a chill down his spine, before her and every other woman their gained sadistic smirks of varying levels

"Understood, Anko-sama!" both brothers shouted before leaving the bathing area with their eyes closed moving their feet in sweeping arcs to avoid running into anything

"I trained 'em well, eh? Now, let's get back into our side before another perv shows up!" Anko shouted before the women returned to their baths

 **~Outside the Steamed Leaf~**

The brothers were just leaving the bathhouse when they felt a presence land not far behind them

"You know, you may want to be more careful around here those kunoichi are still pretty ticked, Ero-senin," Naruto teased causing the man to face fault while the brothers turned to greet him

The man had his spiky white hair worn in a long ponytail, which reached his ankles, red lines painted from below his dark brown eyes down to his jaw and wore a specialized horned forehead protector with the kanji for 'Oil' on it. He wore a red haori with gold buttons on both pecks over a dark, olive, green kimono style shirt which reach his hips over a mesh shirt and matching, olive, green shinobi pants tucked into mesh shin coverings and traditional wood sandals. On his back, he wore a large scroll and had a pair of forearm guards with metal plates on the back of his hands.

"Stupid Gaki! Show me some respect!" Jiraiya yelled while stomping his foot before he took a deep breath a composed himself

"I guess you wouldn't know who I am, you're just a pair of stupid kids after all," Jiraiya teased with a haughty smirk, " _Who just happen to be the spitting images of your' parents, how are these villagers so fucking blind_!?"

Jiraiya began a strange Kabuki dance tilting his head from side to side while he hopped on one foot and had a palm out toward the boys, fingers splayed, "I am the famous and feared the ever gallant, Jiraiya! The Toad Sage of Mt. Myoboku! Member of the three legendary sannin! Men envy me and my every breath! Women throw themselves at my feet as I walk by!"

Jiraiya finished his speech by biting his thumb and going through a chain of hand seals shouting, "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

A complex sealing array formed under Jiraiya before he was concealed by a cloud of smoke. As the smoke cleared Jiraiya was revealed a top a burnt blood orange toad, slightly larger than Jiraiya when crouching, with dark blue markings and a porcelain bead necklace around it' neck.

Naruto and Natsu were amazed by the technique and the summons that Jiraiya had called but were unimpressed by his speech.

"Weren't you just chased through town wearing nothing but a towel by a bunch of women who wanted your head on a platter?" Naruto deadpanned while Natsu nodded noticing the exasperated look on the large toad' face

"And based on your' friends face I doubt it's the first or last time," Natsu added

"Why did we need this pervert' help again?" Naruto asked with a sigh

"Because while we are nearing the end of the fourth tier, by Uzumaki standards, he is in the middle of the fifth tier, by Uzu standards in Fuinjutsu," Natsu replied before giving Jiraiya a quizzical look

"Although I'm also having doubts," Natsu added while sighing

"What do you two mean?" Jiraiya asked, the large toad equally confused and intrigued

In way of answer Naruto walked forward and grabbed Jiraiya' arm before disappearing with both the Sannin and his summons in an orange flash of light while Natsu disappeared in a red flash.

 **~Basement Namikaze Estate~**

Jiraiya looked around in shock at the somewhat familiar room while his eyes adjusted to the light of several illumination seals carved into the roof. One moment he is outside near his favorite hot spring teasing his favorite students kids a blink later and he's in said student' basement library surrounded by Kage Bunshin of said children while the originals, or at least he thinks originals, are looking up at him waiting for a reaction.

Jiraiya turns to his friend Gama, who is even more confused now, and then back to the twins, "Why don't you explain what has happened because you two obviously know more than sensei thinks," Jiraiya said with a sigh while he took a seat at a nearby writing desk while the brothers sat across from him and Gama sat next to the desk

"Well it all started two years ago after our traitorous ex-sensei, Mizuki-Teme, used a chakra flux seal on Naruto to make his chakra flare abnormally whenever he tried to cast a jutsu…" Natsu began

 **~Two hours later~**

"…and so, when we saw what was in the box we just had to go to the springs and prank you, we were just coincidentally there when you were, we thought it might take a little longer," Naruto finished looking sheepishly at a now wide eyed Jiraiya, who was struggling with everything he had heard flying from one emotion to the next and back, while Gama looked on with a look of awe and worry.

" _They were hated and abused by this entire village for years, no worse, they still are, at least hated from a distance. They had to trap check my presents for who knows how long because of these damned villagers_!" Jiraiya thought with a cold rage " _That damn fox is more human than the damn civilians and I can't believe even some of the shinobi are stupid enough to go with it_!"

"So, how did you find out about your' parents or this place?" Jiraiya asked after he had calmed down

"Like Natsu said when he met the Kyuubi in his mindscape they talked and the Kyuubi told him of our parents and the night he attacked the village...he was being controlled though by an Uchiha with only his right Sharringan but it was a Mangekyo meaning he lost someone very important to himself," Naruto said with Natsu interrupting to finish the statement and again defend Kurama

"Why didn't you tell Sarutobi-sensei?" Jiraiya asked with a calculating look

"If he knew the council would find out no matter what whether it be Danzo spying or some greedy pig snooping when the guards are away…they always find out and try to take away anything we hold dear," Natsu replied with a cold look

"We trust Jiji and understand that with how we were he couldn't trust us not to blab to the other kids to try and make friends and thus getting the secret out to Iwa and Kumo. He was gonna tell us about Kyuubi when we graduated, had we not known, and would probably tell us about our parents when we reached Chunin," Naruto added patting Natsu on the back

"I can respect your' reasoning and understand. I'm glad you trust me and sensei I won't tell him everything," Jiraiya said with a wide smile,

"So, since you Hiraishined us here in that special 'Raiton Shunshin' [Wink] I also guess you know the Rasengan…" Jiraiya trailed off as both brothers held a perfect Rasengan in each hand

"Right, have you worked on adding an element to it?"

"We have had some success with Fuuton but that just means our clone memories have less pain each time," Naruto said sheepishly

"Yeah, Raiton just leaves us twitchy for a bit but it electrocutes the clones to death while Katon was the equivalent of accidental cremation," Natsu deadpanned

"Is that what you wanted my help with?" Jiraiya asked while he rubbed his chin and raised an eye brow

The brothers shook their heads before pulling out their mother' research and explaining what they wanted to do and get done before the finals. Jiraiya was amazed at the idea and let them know. He was even shocked when Naruto mentioned how they wanted to sell the Hokage a special 'Chakra Flare' seal which would flare the chakra network of the subject while they slept forcing their reserves to expand overnight. Thus, increasing the combat potential of even civilian born children to pass the true Genin exam.

"You boys are too good for this village some days," Jiraiya sighed in disbelief, "When we get this done you'll have increased the combat potential of every shinobi and academy student exponentially,"

"Yeah, we also want to work on combining the elemental seals to allow for elemental Kekkei Genkai since Dojutsu are way more genetic and must have several other factors altered to work effectively," Natsu added with a grin

"Why do you say that?" Jiraiya asked testing the boy' knowledge

"Well, Kakashi-sensei said in Nami that the reason his Sharingan drains him so much is that since it's an implant his chakra system and body aren't tuned to efficiently supply the eye with the required chakra especially when he copies techniques or casts Genjutsu draining him dry," Naruto supplied turning to Natsu

"Which means that to activate a Dojutsu in someone, safely, you need to also alter their physiology and their chakra networks and signature. I think it's possible but might be a going a little too far. We also only want to limit the types of Elemental Kekkei Genkai we create through the elemental seals. I don't want to create a Scorch Release seal only for someone like Danzo to get it and literally have the current regime burned to the ground," Natsu explained

"Well how will you stop someone from reverse engineering one?" Jiraiya asked

"The thing will be complex enough to stump us for a while in addition we are adding in security measures to make it seep into the chakra coils of the individual we already found a seal in mom' archives that makes arrays invisible even to Dojutsu," Naruto said with a confident smirk

"So, how are we going to do this?" Jiraiya asked

"We have devised various levels of the chakra flare seal and a seal which measures which level of the flare seal you should use," Natsu began taking out a set of six seals

"Each flare seal doubles as a chakra storage seal, a fraction of which is used to slowly flare the chakra coils, if you wear one you will be able to store chakra and should, theoretically, be able to use Kage Bunshin at double your' current capacity," Naruto continued with a smirk

Jiraiya took several moments to absorb the information before a light seemed to flick on behind his eyes, "So I can use them for the research and testing to the same degree as you two, Brilliant!"

Jiraiya activated the testing seal, which rose to the edge of level four, almost five, and took up the twelve inches by twelve in tag. He then created a Kage Bunshin and removed his shirt after handing the tag over to the clone. The clone applied the seal and Jiraiya activated it instantly feeling a mild drain on his chakra system that was easily replenished as quickly as it was drained.

"This is incredible! It only drains as much as I produce per minute so I am still combat ready while the thing fills up," Jiraiya praised before a thought struck him, "If you had already had the test tag and the leveled flare seals, why not tell sensei?"

"We kinda thought this up today while going to the bathhouse and we made and dispelled some clones to put these guys to work while we found you," Naruto explained sheepishly

"I guess then we can wait till we finish these elemental seals and try for the Kekkei Genkai ones before telling sensei, how long do you think this will take?" Jiraiya asked while he replaced his shirts

"Not long, mom was almost done with her research when 'it' happened so we should have the basic ones in a few days it's the overlay of security and elemental combinations that we are going to be working on," Naruto said going though Kushina' notes while Jiraiya was handed a copy of the notes by a clone who quickly went back to work finalizing the five seals.

"I see what you mean this just needs a few safety measures and something to curb the output to make it easier to use more like a natural affinity than a learned one," Jiraiya mused as he began memorizing the notes and going over his own set of incomplete tags

"Does that mean that these seals will make learned affinities stronger upon application?" Natsu asked after a moment

Jiraiya' eyes widened before he slapped Natsu on the back, "Kid that's exactly what it means! You two are just like your' parents!"

"Could we each make a Kage Bunshin to tell stories while we work?" Naruto asked with a small frown

"Of course!" Jiraiya crowed before a look of realization donned on him, "Gama, can I have the scroll?"

The all but forgotten toad (Ha! Thought I forgot him!) nodded before he brought forth a large scroll from within his stomach. The toad placed the scroll on the ground and unrolled it with his tongue revealing several panels with different names. The brothers read through the sparse list and choked back a small sob seeing their father' name.

"Bite your' thumb and sign in blood before leaving your' finger prints as well," Jiraiya instructed with a gentle, knowing, smile

The brothers quickly complied with looks of gratitude and a small bow to Gama. Naruto went first and Natsu second. Once the contract was signed the brothers smiled as Jiraiya showed them the hand seals before channeling chakra for three Kage Bunshin into the technique and summoning Gama across the room.

Natsu and Naruto each did the same and were soon met with a pair of small toads only slightly larger than normal toads. Naruto had summoned an orange toad with blue warts and marking down his back and face wearing a blue vest. Natsu had summoned a chubby, yellow, toad with orange markings and warts down his face and back also wearing a blue vest.

"Hiyah! I'm Gamakichi and this is my little brother Gamatatsu, who are you?" Gamakichi croaked jovially

"I'm Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto, son of Namikaze Minato, and I am the one who summoned you," Naruto replied with a grin while extending a hand to Gamakichi

"I'm Natsu, Uzumaki Natsu, fraternal twin to Naruto and thus son of Namikaze Minato, and I summoned you Gamatatsu-san," Natsu said with a smile and small bow

"Nice to meetcha!" Gamakichi and Gamatatsu chorused

"Do you have any snacks?" Gamatatsu asked in a high-pitched voice

"Jeez Tatsu! Do you ever think with your head and not your stomach?" Gamakichi groaned as he dobe-slapped his brother

"No worries, we have some candy and other snacks stored down here since we don't want to go through the upper levels regularly," Naruto said with a bright grin while a clone brought him a few pieces of candy

"Thanks~" Gamatatsu cheered while he accepted a sucker from Natsu and Gamakichi one from Naruto

"Well it's official you two now have partner toads!" Jiraiya cheered while all four involved looked at the old pervert quizzically

"What do you mean yuh old pervert?" Naruto said in irritation

"He means that by exchanging food and or beverages, usually sake but not limited, you form a sub contract with your' first summons if they like you. It makes it easier for you to summon them and they can help you persuade others of our kind to help you fight. It also stops other summoners from summoning your partner from our realm. You also will be allowed to train together and become more in synch for collaboration jutsu," Gama said in a deep baritone

Jiraiya looked at the keeper of the Toad Contract incredulously for a few moments before he burst out laughing on the floor clutching his sides.

"Why do you find my explanation so funny?" Gama asked with some irritation

Jiraiya just burst into a further fit of laughter before Gama extended his tongue a whapped Jiraiya over the head.

"Ow! What was that for?" Jiraiya groaned while rubbing his sore head

"You ignored my question because you were laughing your' ass off," Gama replied

"Sorry Gama, it's just, I've known you almost thirty-forty years and that was the first time I have ever heard you speak," Jiraiya said with a chuckle

Gama' eyes widened as he realized that Jiraiya was correct while Natsu, Naruto, and Gamakichi were all laughing while Gamatatsu was enjoying his candy completely oblivious to the situation.

"Well if that's all see yuh, partner!" Gamakichi said giving Naruto a wave as he returned to the summoning realm

"Can I have some more candy for the road?" Gamatatsu asked kindly

"Alright, but just one," Natsu said in an authoritative tone handing the small toad another sucker and a second one

"Thanks~ but didn't you say one?" Tatsu asked hopefully

"One for you and one for Kichi since we don't want him being left out," Natsu said with a smile, "And if you don't share I won't give you any next time we summon you guys for training,"

"Alright," Tatsu pouted before stuffing one of the suckers in his mouth and poofing out of the room

"You act too much like a parent for your' age," Jiraiya said melancholically

"Gotta keep this one well fed and in line somehow!" Natsu chirped giving Naruto a noogie

"At least I didn't peep at the locker rooms in the academy!" Naruto whined getting out of the head lock

"Ohho! A fellow peeping tom I see!" Jiraiya cheered

"It was only a few times! I stopped before graduation and it was perfectly normal curiosity for the farer sex!" Natsu quickly defended with a blush while all the Narutos and Jiraiya snickered

"Whelp now that that's settled let's get to work, Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Jiraiya shouted making the hand sign and creating twenty clones

 **~Next Day: Training Ground 7~**

After several hours of research and testing, via Kage Bunshin, the seals were finalized and found safe enough for distribution. Jiraiya had commended the brothers but warned that they still had some work to do the next month. After their success, the trio had Hiraishined to the brothers' apartment and shown Jiraiya the moderate library and the special storage seals they used to maintain it before having a celebratory dinner.

Team 7 was meeting at their usual spot as requested by Kakashi the day before. Surprisingly the team was also joined by teams 5, 8, 9, and 10, even Zabuza was present, and everyone seemed to have questions for Team 7 especially when the Jonin saw the Uzumaki arrive with Jiraiya.

Naruto looked around at everyone staring at him and Natsu and blurted, "What? Do I have something on my face?" Everyone looked at him blankly before a few of the guys snickered and Hinata rolled her eyes.

The brother sat on either side of their teammates before Hinata and Ino each moved to sit with their boyfriends. While most of the rookies had come to terms with Ino dating Natsu and Hinata dating Naruto it still looked strange since the latter had hidden the relationship so well while the former was between a die-hard Uchiha fangirl and the know it all Uzumaki.

"Now that we're all here…" Kakashi began as he appeared in a basic Konoha Shunshin earning a glare from everyone present, "We can get down to some business first, what are the rest of you doing here?"

"I wished to procure some new training equipment from your' young pupils!" Gai shouted in his usual jovial way doing his glistening 'Nice Gai' pose, "With the special seals even light weights can become extremely heavy allowing Lee-kun to stoke his Flames of Youth even more ferociously without having to remove his weights!"

"Can he use a storage scroll?" Naruto asked having heard of Lee' graduation and the limits of his chakra

"No, he can transmit only the faintest chakra unless he ingests a soldier pill student of my eternal rival!" Gai shouted

"Hinata-hime, could you look at Lee-san' coils for me? I may have a fix for this but I wasn't going to unveil it till later today," Naruto asked with a thoughtful expression

Hinata nodded before activating her Byakugan, seal less and without command. She took a long look at Lee' coils, making the Youthful young man nervous, before turning off her Dojutsu, "His coils are stiff looking but seem able to expand if pushed and are quite small not allowing much chakra to flow externally but his internal chakra flow is strong and dense I hope that helps,"

"More than you know," Naruto replied giving Hinata a peck on the cheek making her blush lightly

"Lee, I have a special seal which will slowly build your reserves by flaring your' chakra coils over time I can't give you the weights you desire until you can produce enough chakra externally to use a storage scroll easily without a soldier pill. You may need to keep yourself in the low hundreds of training until you get used to the drain though," Naruto explained calmly enjoying the smile spreading across his comrade' face

"YOSH! Thank you Naruto-kun even if it takes time I will surely master these seals and if I can't do that I will do 100 laps around Konoha on my hands while balancing my sensei on my toes!" Lee shouted in his 'Nice Gai' pose

"Naruto-san how effective are these 'Chakra Flare' seals?" Kurenai asked curiously glancing at her own Genin

"Level one is like doing a few hours of Tree Climbing with a reverse on the control benefits due to the increase in the chakra pool," Natsu replied

"Level 1?" Asuma asked with a fresh cigarette in his mouth

"There are five levels of the seal, the final being like a month of Tree Climbing without control benefits while Level 3 is like two weeks," Naruto explained while pulling out a seal tag

"This tag indicates which level your' current chakra stores are at and thus which flare seal will give you optimal results. Lee while level 2 would give you better results I don't want to risk the integrity of your coils since they are so small and may be brittle," Natsu explained

"If you guys want we can apply them but they need to be on the person' back," Naruto added causing the present females to blush madly

"If you aren't comfortable with the Gaki I'm happy to oblige Kurenai-chan," Jiraiya said with a smirk earning a glare from Kurenai and a small growl from Asuma

"Well, at least he will protect your honor, Kurenai-sensei," Naruto teased earning a small glare from a blushing Kurenai and Asuma

"Ha! Serves you right pervert," Zabuza barked with laughter discreetly hiding his own orange book

"You are just as perverted Zabuza-san," Haku joked pulling the same book back from Zabuza' pouch

"Ah a fan, I would be honored to sign if you'd like," Jiraiya said with a smile as his eyebrows wiggled

Zabuza didn't say anything and simply held his copy of 'Icha Icha Paradise: Kunoichi in the Mist'

"Any way… those who want weights…" Natsu began as he created five clones and handed one a storage scroll, "We saw this coming so we have some specialized training weights with inscribed gravity seals, Lee we'll reserve you a pair, just take your' weights and you will be given instructions on how to turn them on and off, sensei included,"

"When did you brats have time to put these together?" Jiraiya asked while he handed the book back to Zabuza

"Shadow Clones are so helpful when you can make over five hundred at a time and can absorb fifty at a time," Naruto replied while he unsealed his sealing supplies

The Jonin of the group all looked at the brothers in disbelief at the idea of creating five clones let alone five hundred! After they took a moment to process the information they walked over to the clones while Naruto worked on Lee' chakra flare seal. The process proved simple enough and even Gai and the other males decided to have the seals applied to themselves while the females decided to wait a bit.

Understanding the problem Natsu pulled a scroll from his pouch and unsealed a two-person tent having several clones set it up. He soon ushered the ladies in one at a time, save for Hinata in respect for Naruto, to apply the seals after finding out their levels.

Sakura and Tenten had Level 1 reserves while Ino, Hinata, and Koneko had Level 2 chakra reserves and Haku, Hana, and Kurenai had Level 3 bordering Level 4 reserves. The seals were easy enough to apply since it was just a charged tag being set in place.

The guys were less spread out with Shikamaru having Level 1 reserves; Kiba, Choji, Akiro, and Neji having Level 2 reserves, Neji almost having Level 3 reserves; Sasuke had Level 3 reserves; Kakashi, Asuma, Zabuza, and Gai all had mid-Level 4 reserves.

While everyone adjusted to the new seals and weights, which included two gauntlets, shin guards, and a breastplate, Kakashi decided to continue the meeting.

"So, now that we have that done, thank you both by the way, we can move on to your' opponents in the Finals," Kakashi said watching as everyone eyed each other and smirked, "Rivalry is a great motivator, is it not?"

"I would have to concur with your' assessments, Kakashi-sensei," Shino said while readjusting his glasses

"Yosh! If you want proof look no further than myself and my Eternal Rival the ever hip Kakashi! Why, I wouldn't be half the Splendid Shinobi I am today if I had not fought to beat him!"

"Huh, did you say something Gai?" Kakashi asked looking up from his little orange book

"Curse you and your' hip attitude!" Gai grumbled with a clenched fist

"Anyway, let's look at the out of towners since I won't discuss my training methods in front of competition except for those against foreign Shinobi," Kakashi explained

Jiraiya pulled up his infamous notebook and flipped a few pages, "Sabaku no Temari. Daughter of the Yondaime Kazekage, and sister to the Ichibi Jinchuriki. She has a high natural Fuuton affinity and can enhance her attacks using her three-fold battle fan. She is a skilled tactician but is young and prone to get cocky if she thinks things are going her way. She is adept at long range but she may be capable of short or midrange fighting with smaller fans hidden in her battle kimono. Her measurements are…" Jiraiya began before he was hit over the head by Kurenai and Hana with the Kominu brothers growling at him

"Ow! Jeez take a joke any way. Fuu of Takigakure, Jinchuriki of the Nanabi as confirmed by our resident experts," Jiraiya said motioning to the brothers

"How are they the resident experts?" Kiba blurted incredulously causing the Jonin, Ino, and Hinata to glare at Jiraiya

"They seemed so open I thought they told!" Jiraiya defended while trying to shield himself

"Well thanks Ero-sennin…guess now is as good a time as any," Naruto grumbled before letting out a composing sigh feeling Hinata wrap an arm around his and give a light squeeze Ino doing the same for Natsu each giving small smiles of appreciation before nodding

"You all remember how almost fifteen years ago the Yondaime fought and defeated the Kyuubi no Kitsune at the cost of his life?" Natsu asked earning nods from the surrounding Genin, including Haku who had read up on local history

"That was mostly a lie. You see a Bijuu, tailed beast, is a being composed of sentient chakra…" Naruto explained

"Troublesome, so since it's basically energy it can only be dispersed rather than destroyed," Shikamaru deduced with a lazy shrug

"Correct, the only way to defeat a Bijuu is to seal it into something or more often…someone," Natsu explained to the shock of the group

"That night our mother died in childbirth so the Yondaime took us and sealed the Kyuubi within myself and Natsu. He split the Kyuubi into its Yin and Yang halves the seal used balancing the energy offset by having our chakra merge with the fox' as we get older making our reserves grow and become much denser, also destroying our chakra control and our control of the Yokai of the beast due to the overwhelming offset," Naruto said taking a break to take in the confused and shocked looks of their friends and comrades

"If you guys don't want to hang out or train with us anymore we understand," Natsu said in a hollow voice that wrenched at the heartstrings of those who had already known

There was a long moment of silence among the gathered Genin before it was broken by Kiba,

"You know, I always wondered why you two smelled like foxes, no wonder you beat me with that thing sealed in you your' both powerhouses compared to a bunch of batteries," Kiba said with a reassuring smile

Natsu and Naruto looked at each other before snapping their attention back to their comrades and possibly…friends feeling their girlfriends embrace tighten sensing the surge of positive emotions and even small bits of anger. Not one aimed at them.

"You don't hate us?" Naruto asked with some trepidation

"What do you take us for, idiots?" Sasuke snorted, "You are way to annoying to be the fox itself and if you are, well you haven't tried to raze the village yet, and with your' lives we're lucky, I trust you,"

"Yeah, I work with storage scrolls all the time!" Tenten chimed in, "The seal doesn't turn the scroll into a kunai,"

"My clan is looked upon with great dissatisfaction due to us having our hives living within ourselves. I can relate, at least partially, to your plight my comrades," Shino responded with his hive seeming to buzz in agreement

"My Byakugan can see the second source of chakra within your cores I know it is different from your' so why hate you for it' deeds," Neji said with a gruff nod

"You both helped to change mine and Zabuza' lives for the better. Even helping us to send the resistance constant funds, why would I hate you?" Haku replied with a smile while she squeezed Akiro' hand

"You guys were the first and, for a time, only kids who would even talk to us in and out of the academy, you're our friends first and Jinchuriki second," Akiro said with a wide grin while Koneko nodded frantically

"We're teammates plus if I'm right you used the fox' chakra to protect us from Orochimaru in the forest before he tagged you guys and Sasuke-kun with those weird seals," Sakura chirped with a smile

"Gaki, while I may hate Yagura, I also understand that the Sanbi is only a tool which Yagura used to grab Kiri by the balls. I don't hate you for that demon in your' gut as long as you don't pull the same shit as that monster," Zabuza said with a serious look and a small hidden smirk

"I fell for the strong-willed boy with the never say 'Die' attitude. You gave me strength when I had none so I will always give you my love and support all I can," Hinata said giving Naruto a peck on the lips

"I may have been a Sasuke fan girl in the academy but you made me see past him and to the boy who was always ready to pick me up when I fell, and I stumbled quite a bit. I'm not sure if it's love or extreme infatuation but whatever it is I think it will only grow stronger fox or no," Ino declared before pulling Natsu into a deep lip lock

The Jonin all looked proudly at their students as they reassured and comforted their friends while Jiraiya was grumbling about lucky brats getting all the girls. Everyone took a few moments to calm down and digest the information.

"Once more, sorry about revealing basically your' biggest secret," Jiraiya said with an apologetic look

Naruto looked down to Hinata being given a warm, kind, smile from the Hyuuga heiress while Natsu looked to Ino and received a smile of his own one she only showed when they were together, a smile which let him know everything would be okay.

The brothers turned to each other and nodded before giving Jiraiya a small wave of their hands in a dismissive gesture.

"Thanks, now back to business!" Jiraiya barked while bringing back up his notebook, "Fuu of Takigakure, confirmed Jinchuriki of the Nanabi. She is known to have several personal jutsu granted to her by the Nanabi and is highly adept at the use of Suiton Ninjutsu and can use several small Katon Jutsu in conjunction with her personal Jutsu, like against Lee in the preliminaries. She is Chunin level in Taijutsu and low Jonin in physical prowess. She is not to be underestimated and I'm afraid that you may be unable to catch up in a month, Sasuke. But you can still show your' prowess and attempt to be promoted especially if you give a few good licks and retreat or show off all you got. You do have a greater chance than most of your' friends here to be promoted even if you don't win, oh mighty Uchiha," Jiraiya explained giving a mock bow at the end

"Please, don't remind me. After the Forest of Death, I took some time and really thought about myself and how I used to act…I was a prick," Sasuke said while shaking his head in embarrassment

"Was?" Naruto teased with a foxy grin

"Shut up Baka!" Sakura shouted with a teasing smile

Everyone had a good long laugh teasing each other, especially Sasuke, over their attitudes and boasting about how they would win the tournament or make Chunin first. Kiba grumbled about getting one of the worst possible opponents in the first round. Ino was bragging to Sakura about bagging one of the best guys in Konoha.

"Kakashi-sensei what's the plan for this month?" Sakura asked with a worried glance toward Sasuke

"Well since Shikamaru is the only one of Team 10 who actually made it Asuma can train him without worry while Choji and Ino seek further training from their families. Whereas Kurenai can't train both Shino and Hinata so it is best if she finds one of them an alternate instructor. I would guess Haku will be training with Zabuza while Hana helps Akiro. I will be training Sasuke to defend against Fu since it seems that Natsu and Naruto have found alternative instruction…" Kakashi explained gaining nods from his fellow Jonin before he trailed off glancing at Jiraiya and receiving another nod

"Kakashi-sensei, what will I be doing this month?" Sakura asked nervously

"I have a…friend in the hospital who has agreed to help expand your' Iryojutsu knowledge over this month," Kakashi said with an eye smile while Jiraiya gave a thumbs up and lecherous grin at the mention of Kakashi' 'friend'

"Sasuke I want you to pack enough rations and supplies for a couple of weeks while we train in one of the cliff side training grounds," Kakashi said with an eye smile while he pulled out his favorite book

"What will you two be doing this month?" Asuma asked trying to give his students an edge

"Nothing much we're trying to develop some new seals to help Genin in Elemental transformation. It might even help us with a bit of our legacy," Naruto supplied with a foxy grin

"Wait! You're not only gonna give these 'Chakra Flare' seals to pops but you're trying to make Nature Transformation a Genin skill?" Asuma asked in utter astonishment

"Not entirely. You see, we're trying to make seals which allow a person to have a natural alignment to other elements since even if a Katon user trains himself to use Doton Jutsu to great effect they will always be weaker than a person who uses the same Jutsu but has a natural Doton Affinity," Natsu explained gaining shocked looks from everyone

"You don't know the meaning of the phrase 'In the box thinking', do you" Kurenai asked shaking her head

"What box?" Naruto asked causing Hinata to erupt in a fit of giggles

"Why would you two do it anyway, I mean, you can always train to use the elements with time you can use all five," Zabuza asked in confusion

"Troublesome, like they said a trained affinity is more often than not weaker than an equally trained natural affinity. If these seals work like they say it will allow anyone to gain multiple affinities making them even deadlier and allowing them to use less chakra to use techniques that oppose their natural affinity," Shikamaru explained before letting out a loud yawn

Everyone turned from Shikamaru, to Natsu, then Naruto, and finally settled on Jiraiya who nodded with a wide shit eating grin plastered across his face.

"Yup! They even cooked this up just lounging around yesterday walking to the bathhouse," Jiraiya boasted while he ruffled the Uzumaki brothers' hair, much to their annoyance

"Yosh! My friends might you enlighten us as to the weight your' youthful spirits allow you to use?" Lee crowed as the question came to him causing everyone to turn to Lee for the good question then to the brothers for an answer

"While you're at it please enlighten us to the other restraints you wear," Kurenai added with an intrigued look that was mirrored by most everyone there

"Well each piece of our weights places about 100kg on us while we also wear Level 15 resistance seals," Naruto began much to the surprise of most

"Which is the equivalent of wading up to your' neck through thin clay with the same weight," Natsu enlightened causing several jaws to drop

"We also use chakra suppression seals to help us build our reserves but are going to change them to incorporate the flare seal as well," Naruto finished with a small smile

Everyone was completely shocked for a few seconds while the brothers just looked on sheepishly. After a short goodbye, and some extra reassurances that no one would view the brothers any differently, everyone left to various training grounds to prepare for the finals.

 **~Hokage' Office Same Day~**

Hiruzen Sarutobi, Sandaime Hokage, the man who was acclaimed in his youth as the Kami no Shinobi sat behind his desk in wide eyed amazement at the very idea being proposed to him. Let alone who was proposing the idea. He was being proposed an impossible dream by his two favorite orphans. The idea to have all his forces old and new made insurmountably more potent and thus made all the harder to kill.

"You boys just bring me one surprise after another, at least this time the council won't be giving me a headache, _they may even grow a little fonder of these two if nothing else they'll see the growth and prosperity these two can bring Konoha if given the opportunity_ ," Hiruzen said with a wide grandfatherly smile beaming at the brothers and his former student

"These little brats are incredible when they put their minds to it!" Jiraiya cheered

"So, how does this work?" Hiruzen asked holding up the Flare Measure Seal

"You channel chakra into the tag and it will glow based on the level of your reserves but in your' case we have a special flare seal made," Natsu enthused pulling a seventh seal from his pouch

"Yeah, Believe It! We thought that with your' coils likely being much less flexible than a younger shinobi' but being much larger than almost any around you needed a seal that would store a larger abundance but would flare at low amounts several times a day rather than only at night or else you won't get any useful results," Naruto explained with a wide smile while Jiraiya gave a proud grin

"They also figured out how to give any of our Shinobi the use of any and all of the basic five chakra natures and between you, me, and probably the roots in the trees, that's just the start!" Jiraiya boasted with a puff of pride

"How did you come across this idea, boys?" Hiruzen asked with a raised eyebrow

The boys gave a small sigh before glancing at the portrait of the Yondaime Hokage and giving Hiruzen knowing grins causing the old man to pale before mouthing, 'How?' to which the brothers simply rubbed their stomachs

"Man, bro can we go get some ramen at Ichiraku' after this~?" Naruto whined still rubbing his stomach

"I think that would be a great idea!" Natsu enthused with a foxy grin, "But you need to get some steamed veggies every other bowel,"

"Fine," Naruto pouted earning a chuckle from everyone

"Jiji, do you also want the elemental seals? I know that you can use all five element releases but the seals we make help to tune your' chakra like that of a Natural Affinity," Naruto asked with a respectful nod to the man' skills as a ninja

"I believe that would be quite helpful but I will only need the Suiton, Raiton, and Fuuton seals as I already have a natural Katon and Doton affinity," Hiruzen replied with a grandfatherly smile

"Alright then, can you expose your' torso so we can apply the seals?" Natsu asked grabbing several tags from his hip pouch

The ANBU operatives present in the room jumped down, to ensure the Hokage' protection, while he nodded and removed his robes and kimono style shirt revealing an aged figure that showed the results of decades of intense and diligent training even in his old age.

"Wow Jiji never thought you would still have so much muscle mass!" Naruto blurted before his brain could catch up to his mouth

"Why thank you Naru-chan! Yes, I may be old but as the leader and protector of this village even in my short retirement I couldn't let my training lapse lest I be overrun by the ravages of time," Hiruzen replied brushing off the rude comment and passing back a barb of his own

Naruto shrugged off the name with a smile while he prepared the Elemental Seals for application and Natsu applied the specialized 'Chakra Flare Seal' to Hiruzen' back.

Hiruzen smiled seeing the brothers working so intently to prepare the seals and apply them while Jiraiya looked on in pride. His wizened mind going back to times with his successor fawning over Kushina and making plans to be with the boys training them to be even better than the young Genin who stood before him. Hiruzen decided then and there no matter what happened he would promote both brothers to Chunin after the finals.

With the prepared seals easily being applied around his body the boys finished quickly allowing the aged Hokage to acclimate to the seals.

"So when will this special seal work?" Hiruzen asked while he redressed in his official Hokage robes

"You should feel a light drain on your' reserves but nothing you won't replenish just as quickly. The seal is designed to keep your reservoirs in a state of equilibrium between your' production of chakra and the drain of the seal. The other three will take a day to fully integrate but by tomorrow you should see an increase in the power and potency of your jutsu and a drop in chakra cost," Natsu explained after a few moments of thought

"The seal will flare your' reserves every three hours, which is why we applied them now so you could have a rounded estimate of when the flare will occur. Be warned though you may feel some discomfort during the flare but it should pass. We found the original design used too much chakra to flare and that these seals work to slowly open one' pathways," Naruto explained with a wide grin before both brothers each took out large storage scrolls

"In those scrolls are enough flare seals for your' entire active roster, including those in the hospital, tower, and academy even enough for the academy students. Make sure that when the flare seal is applied the subject uses the indicator seal or the flare seal could damage the subject' chakra coils. Be warned there will be some discomfort for the first few days to a week depending on the level. We also suggest that the elemental seals be used after the use of chakra paper to give the subject a complimentary element to work with especially if the subject is a Genin," Jiraiya explained while the boys seemed to stand just a little taller

"What do I owe you boys for the seals?" Hiruzen asked pulling out a scroll from his desk and writing out several lines before pausing with an expectant gaze to the boys

"I think and A-Rank' pay each should suffice?" Natsu half asked half answered receiving a nod from both Naruto and Jiraiya while Hiruzen gave him a beaming smile before filling in a few more lines on the parchment

"Oh! And a look at the seals on your crystal ball, I won't use the exact ones but it could be useful in protecting our apartment and camps in the future," Natsu interjected in a moment of realization as the Hokage finished the parchment

Hiruzen placed his pen down and thought carefully for several moments before nodding, "The seals on the ball and pedestal are quite complex but you may have a look and I'll even show you how it works,"

Hiruzen pushed his chair out of his desk before activating a small seal, which he showed the boys, engulfing the desktop in a plume of smoke. When the smoke cleared in place of the piles of paperwork now sat an amethyst ball with complex seals etched into the base of the ball.

"This crystal ball connects to the barrier surrounding the village allowing me to locate anyone I want in the village but I can't hear them or look into buildings, this was a gift to the Shodaime Hokage by his wife Senju-Uzumaki Mito," Hiruzen explained with a wide grin seeing the wide eyes on the boys' faces as they took in the finely etched and complex seals

"Incredible, may we?" Natsu asked motioning to his eyes

"Be my guest," Hiruzen replied with a small wave

Natsu and Naruto activated their Kitsunegan and memorized the etched seals across the ball and the switching seal on the desk. They slowly broke down both of the complex seals and began to formulate counter measures and enhancements before a small cough from Jiraiya broke them of their stupor

"Sorry about that, thanks for the look see Jiji!" Naruto said sheepishly

"Well then here you boys go take this to the mission desk down stairs and they will give you each the equivalent pay I will also mark this as an A-Rank research mission in your' files, is there anything else?" Hiruzen asked unsure if he wanted to know or not

"Not yet but maybe soon," Naruto replied with a sheepish grin, "You won't be disappointed when we come back, Believe It!"

"I never am with you boys, at least, not since you graduated the academy," Hiruzen said with a cheeky smile playing across his face

Both boys gave him a playful glare before following a very proud, and somewhat enthused, Jiraiya out the far-left window and into the village

" _Yes, those two will do great things in their life times I only hope I'm around to see them_ ," the Hokage mused while he got back to his paper work hoping the new seal would soon allow him the reprieve of using Shadow Clones for the menial task again

 **~1 Week Later: Namikaze Estate Basement~**

Naruto, Natsu, and Jiraiya were all holding hands and dancing around with idiotic grins on their faces. If anyone were to walk into that basement they would find three idiots dancing around a widely grinning clone of one of the idiots.

In the clone' right hand was an onyx black, semi-transparent, crystal the size of a fist. The clone allowed the crystal to shatter into millions of specs of light before dispelling transmitting it' memories to the original Natsu, whose grin only widened.

It had taken them thousands of clones and countless hours of accumulative research, trial, and error before they were finally successful in enough tests that Jiraiya felt the Elemental Kekkei Genkai Seals were safe. The brothers were ecstatic and already had clones busily applying their own Kekkei Genkai seals to the pectorals of the originals.

Natsu and Naruto had done months' worth of painstaking research into the various sub-element Kekkei Genkai going through hundreds of spy reports, histories of wars fought by the Leaf, and her enemies. Then, after they had discovered them, they went through trial and error in combining elements to recreate the different sub-elements. The easiest were Hyoton and Mokuton as they had current users of the Kekkei Genkai who could explain the nature transformations required to use their techniques. Next was the Shoton Kekkei Genkai, a personal favorite of Natsu', this was harder because while several reports made it seem like one combination others suggested otherwise. Finally, after many clones erupted in different ways, including finding the combination of Raiton and Doton needed to create Jinton, the brothers discovered that Shoton was a combination of Doton and Fuuton which compressed particles in the air to crystalize or compressed minerals below ground into crystals.

Jiraiya had warned the brothers about some of their more…destructive discoveries like the Shakuton combination of Katon and Fuuton. While it was a powerful element and easy to produce he wasn't sure about giving it too readily to the village or at least making a stipulation of the council. Which of course both brothers took as a great prank. The Elemental Kekkei Genkai seals would allow first generation civilian born shinobi to make themselves a clan even allowing adults to take remedial training at the academy to join the Genin Pool.

Jiraiya had taken special interest in the Shakuton seal and decided to apply the powerful Kekkei Genkai which supplemented him with the Futon seal giving him natural affinities for Katon, Futon, and Doton. He was quite pleased as he skillfully maneuvered a red ball of flame with a white center around himself much like a young beauty of Suna he had come across once.

Natsu was having the Shoton seal applied to himself as he had gained a fascination for the way the style worked and for the near limitless applications of the bloodline even in the civilian capacity. Naruto had chosen Mokuton thinking it would give the brothers greater leverage against the council if they could revive the lost bloodline of the Shodai Hokage. The Mokuton style also gave Naruto a variety of long range capture techniques even his chains couldn't provide allowing him to siphon chakra not just suppress it. The brothers even found that with practice the bloodline would allow him to craft items much like the Shoton.

"So, do we go tell Jiji now or do we wait until we have some practice with them?" Naruto asked giving Jiraiya an inquisitive look

"I say we wait for now until we have some practice in the basic manipulation let alone some technique training, say, a week?" Jiraiya asked

The brothers thought for a few moments before nodding in the affirmative.

"Good then we can get to training I also want to teach each of you two of my personal self-made Jutsu!" Jiraiya barked giving a prideful grin to the boys who looked up at him in uncontained excitement, "There is a special training ground that only sensei and the Sannin can access freely. It has privacy barriers that even Danzo can't crack allowing us to train freely without being caught,"

"Sweet! We'll master your' jutsu, our new releases, and then some by the end of the month!" Natsu cheered with fire in his eyes

"Yeah, Believe It!" Naruto chorused with even more determination in his eyes

 **~Same Time: With Kakashi~**

Kakashi was climbing up an incredibly steep and uneven cliff face with his right arm tied behind his back. As this insane task was training he was using pure physical strength. He was nearly to the top of the cliff when his foot slipped.

What was his foot hold had suddenly crumbled to the ground several stories below. His grip strength now being truly tested Kakashi needed a plan quickly. He took several seconds to gather his chakra and flared it.

" _Shomon, Gate of Opening, Release_!" Kakashi mumbled releasing his own mind' restrictions on his muscles and, in a feat of strength and dexterity, he propelled himself up ten feet to the top of the cliff doing a mid-air summersault and landing perfectly on his feet

" _When did this get so difficult_?" Kakashi thought to himself while looking around the cliff top his eyes landing on the only other person for miles

Sasuke stood not far from Kakashi, his left right arm also tied behind his back his weights activated putting an extra hundred pounds of strain on his muscles. He gave Kakashi an unimpressed glance as he walked over

"What happened to 'No chakra' in the climb?" Sasuke asked in a mocking tone

"Well, I'm adverse to falling to my death so instead I used a tiny bit," Kakashi eye smiled while using his chakra to untie the ropes that bound his dominant hand

"Whatever," Sasuke grumbled while undoing his own bonds, albeit a bit slower

 **~Same Time: Konoha General Hospital~**

"Sakura-chan, I need you to take these files back downstairs and file them away for me!" a nurse called to the smiling pinkette

"On it Taichou!" Sakura chirped taking the files from the nurse

" _Damnit_! _When will they actually teach me something_!" Sakura shouted in her mind

" _Cha! We've been here a week and all they've done is treat us like a damn civilian intern!"_ Inner Sakura grumbled

"I hope Sasuke-kun' training is going better than this, and Naruto and Natsu'," Sakura grumbled

"You know this is important work," A voice said from behind the grumbling girl who let out an 'eep' of surprise before turning around sharply to see the head nurse of the hospital

"I'm sorry Taichou but…" Sakura apologized trailing off

"You are a ninja who is used to training and doing office work feels like a waste of time yeah I felt the same way but this is also just a tradition around here. I have a couple of scrolls for you to study at home tonight and you can ask me about them tomorrow when we have some time," the woman said with a mischievous grin

Sakura eagerly accepted the scrolls with a wide grin, "Thanks, Taichou!"

"Of course, now get those files put away so you can head out and study," the woman said with a wave of her hand

Sakura dashed off to the filing room with a new spring in her step and a wide smile, " _Cha! I won't get left behind by those guys I'll show them I can be just as good a Shinobi as any of them!"_

 **~Teams 9 and 10: Same Time~**

Shikamaru was dodging countless kunai, shuriken, and senbon all thrown at him by the only female member of the ever-youthful Team Gai, Tenten. She threw the endless stream of projectiles in overlapping and seemingly random patterns to force him to dodge quickly his goal to land a hit on her from close range.

" _This is so Troublesome. Why do I keep getting paired up against girls all the time_?" Shikamaru thought while deflecting a senbon he couldn't dodge

"You gotta speed up if you want to get a hit in Shikamaru! Or, at least not be made a pincushion!" Asuma called from the sidelines

"Come on Shika, you can do this!" Ino cheered while she sprinted down one tree across a small pond and up another tree

Choji was trying to eat a chip from a small bowl while he did knuckle push-ups over a bed of coals but sent his friend all the support he could.

"Troublesome" Shikamaru sighed dodging another flurry of kunai and shuriken

Off to the side Lee and Neji were sparring while wearing weights Neji dodging and defecting Lee' powerful kicks and punches while trying to score hits against Lee' Tenketsu. Both being supervised by Gai as he looked over all three training groups.

"Faster Lee or you'll never get into his guard!" Gai called to his mini-me

"Yes, Gai-sensei!" Lee replied pushing his body to move even faster than it had been

"Tenten, change your tempo he's starting to read your movements!" Gai shouted earning a nod from Tenten and a grumbling sigh from Shikamaru

"Neji your technique is good but you need to flow more smoothly!" Gai shouted his final student nodding and trying to adjust himself

"Yes, my Youthful students! Stoke your Flames of Youth and, in turn, those of your' comrades so that we may all grow stronger! Come Asuma-san a friendly spar to help stoke our young pupils' flames even higher!" Gai shouted with a fire in his eyes

"Alright Gai but take it easy on me I am not as good at Taijutsu as you are," Asuma said knowing Gai wouldn't drop the idea

 **~With Hinata~**

"Again, Hinata remember you must maintain the rotation speed and output without losing your' balance," Hiashi explained to his daughter

"Hai, Tou-sama," Hinata replied getting back into the stance of the Kaiten and releasing her chakra once more spinning into a shielding dome of chakra

Hiashi was amazed by his daughter and her newfound strength in battle. When she returned from the preliminaries without Neji he was surprised. He had expected to find her injured with Neji moving on to the Finals tournament to rise to Chunin. To find her alone entering the compound with nary a mark on her was shocking enough, to discover that she defeated Neji and put him in the hospital, was stupefying.

The elder council had been in an uproar declaring that she must have cheated her way through. That she must have done something to have defeated their prodigy in such a humiliating way. Hiashi let them have it for the insult to her honor and their own hypocrisy.

They had been breathing down his neck that she wasn't strong enough to be the next clan heir. That she needed to be more vicious and less gentle with the branch family. And when she finally shows strength in battle and skill they have the audacity to complain. Her variation of Juken, Juho, could be taught to future generations for years to come and be used to allow those not skilled in the art as it was, much like she was found to be, to grow stronger.

Hiashi was proud of his daughter for the first time in too long he felt he could finally reconcile with his demons. He went to visit Neji at the hospital alone and gave Neji a letter that should have been delivered far sooner. The letter had explained how Hiashi was prepared to die for the clan and to give in to Kumo' demands but was incapacitated by Hizashi who then pretended to be his brother and allowed his corpse to be taken to Kumo protecting the Byakugan and keeping it from their barbaric clutches. The letter explained how Hizashi had finally found freedom from the cage of his fate by choosing his own end and choosing to save his brother. He asked in his letter for Neji not to fall into the trap of blaming Fate and to instead forge his own path and make his own choices. By the time Neji had finished reading the letter Hiashi had fallen to his haunches bowing to Neji for forgiveness. Neji had been humble and forgiven him if only slightly and in turn Hiashi had promised to help Neji in furthering his Juken and that of the Branch Family, the Elders be damned.

Hinata performed an acceptable Kaiten spin and deflected several dozen blunt kunai with the technique before stopping and catching a final blunt kunai in her finish. Hiashi and the Branch members throwing the blunted kunai all applauded her skill in the technique

"Good work daughter now, let us begin with the Eight Trigrams technique," Hiashi said the faint crinkling of his eyes the only indication of the pride he felt even now as he got into the first stance of the technique

"Hai, To-sama," Hinata replied mirroring her father' stance a faint smile on her face following the flowing and swift moves of her father while several Branch members watched on

 **~Team 8: Same Time~**

Shino and Kiba were sparring under the watchful eyes of their sensei. After some more intense chakra control exercises and a set of laps, sit-ups, and push-ups, she was having her students spar to further improve their Taijutsu especially Shino whose biggest weakness was his close-range skills and lack of Ninjutsu save for clan techniques. He was immune to Genjutsu save for the highest caliber due to his hive devouring the foreign chakra before it could anchor itself or buzzing their own to disrupt his.

She had him working in Elemental Transformation of chakra by compacting dust into a pebble and then back repeatedly while Kiba did the same and Akamaru worked on learning to water walk.

It had been a long week for her students being trained by herself and their families everyday all day but it was already showing results and with the distribution of the Uzumaki Chakra Flare Seals throughout the village things were becoming much more interesting. Many of the stronger Aburame now had the chakra reserves to support additional hives that would usually have taken years to obtain or even use elemental jutsu once nearly impossible due to the chakra drain starving their own insects. While the Inuzuka found that the seals allowed their Ninken themselves to use chakra to perform basic Nature transformation and use different control exercises. While the Hyuuga were simply able to use their Juken techniques more, since they were too set in their ways to change.

 **~Team 5: Same Time~**

Hana was training her students relentlessly. She would drive them into the ground one way before reviving them and driving them through the wall a whole new way. She had them exhaust their chakra before running laps around the training field or spar on the river' surface before surprising them with dodging practice and if they didn't dodge that just gave Akiro and Haku time to practice their Iryoninjutsu.

Zabuza was helping to train all three in evasion and detection using his Kirigakure no Jutsu to blind them forcing her students to fight harder to predict the attacks that would come even dodging attacks from each other at times.

Haku was building her reserves each day and coming up with combination jutsu to use with her new nature Raiton. She could combine it with her favorite Suiton techniques to amplify them exponentially but using them together became difficult since she didn't have much control.

Akiro had gotten himself up to two puppets and was quite proud of his achievement. He had created a tiger puppet with white stripes and deep blue fur. The puppet had special seals, gifted to the Okami clan, by the Uzumaki brothers, that would transform chakra into Wind blades with a set range and shape. He had the seals set on the fore paws while a similar Raiton seal was placed in the puppet' kunai filled maw. The puppet was able to throw wind blades with a swipe of it' claws or shoot a blast of Raiton chakra.

Koneko had been building a second puppet as well but still couldn't control it and her original. Her second puppet was humanoid in shape but had bestial claws, fangs, and musculature made of woven ninja wire. This gave it the dexterity of a human but the strength of a beast. The difficult part was the difference in control technique between a bestial puppet and a humanoid one.

"You brats are still a long way from Chunin material," Zabuza said in an encouraging detriment

"But you have some time to train still I expect you both to show your skills and power in the finals and try your hardest to make Chunin," Hana encouraged giving Zabuza an elbow to the ribs

"Right, what she said," Zabuza grumbled glaring at the Inuzuka woman who had an unsettlingly sweet smile

"Right Hana-sensei, Zabuza-sensei!" all three cheered before collapsing from exhaustion

"Guess we worked 'em a little too hard," Zabuza said glancing down at the Genin

"Nah, let 'em rest a bit now and then we'll do some laps with them," Hana replied while watching her Ninken practice Tree walking

 **~One Week to Finals: Hokage' Office~**

Naruto and Natsu stood once more before a dumbstruck Hokage, staring at the Jinchuriki who each held in their hands an intricate Bo staff with spherical end caps, one made of deep onyx crystal that shone with the radiance of a starry night while the other was a deep brown made of sturdy wood that had been proven harder than steel when tested against the kunai of an ANBU guard, denting the blade.

But the Hokage wasn't left awestruck simply because a wooden staff had dented a kunai blade, no, in the shinobi world that was a simple application of Doton chakra used to increase the weapon' durability. He was left awestruck by the fact that both beautifully intricate weapons were created from thin air by the brothers.

Even Jiraiya, who had seen their training, was left in awe at the sight before them while, after his initial shock at seeing Naruto materialize the Bo staff then just as suddenly deflect and dent a kunai strike, courtesy of the Hokage' ANBU guard, Hiruzen let a smile grace his face at seeing the achievements of the two in so little time.

"I see you have figured out the Enhanced Element Seals. Your mother once proposed the idea and researched it I'm sure she could have, had she survived that night, she would be so proud of you both I only hope you know that," Hiruzen said giving them a wide smile

"Jiji, thank you. We actually have something special for you but we need you to summon Enma-san as well for a test of sorts," Naruto said with a foxy grin

With a shrug Hiruzen rose from his chair and bit his thumb before going through a short chain of hand seals, "Kuchiyose no Jutsu: Enma!"

Hiruzen slammed his hand down onto the ground before the office was filled with a cloud of chakra smoke. When the smoke cleared a large monkey as tall and as stocky as Jiraiya himself his face angular with piercing green eyes and a rounded maw full of sharp fangs. His hands and feet adorned with metal plate guards and long black claws. His body covered in thick spiky white fur with a ponytail that reached his knees. He wore grey-green shinobi pants and a matching shirt with chain mesh under armor and a tiger fur Hakama that reached his hips. Adorning his head was a leaf village head band.

" **What is the problem Sarutobi, why have you summoned me**?" Enma asked in confusion seeing no battle or enemies

"These two have something to give me and they asked that I summon you so that you could help test the gift in question," Hiruzen replied with a chuckle while motioning to the brothers

" **Well, young ones what have you for the old monkey**?" Enma asked with a chuckle of his own

He knew full well the children before him and what they contained. He remembered their parents and could see them standing before him once more just as bright and just as full of potential. He may not know why he was brought in or what this would do but he knew it would be interesting.

Natsu and Naruto smiled mischievously before Naruto pulled out a storage scroll and activated it. In a puff of chakra smoke a seventy-five centimeter cane appeared. It had a wood body while the bevel of the cane was cupped like an egg chair with winding vines holding a sky-blue crystal ball slightly smaller than a baseball in the bevel. All along the body of the cane were intricate sealing formulas giving the cane several abilities. The crystal ball resting in the top of the cane had it' own formulas etched along the back where it met the wood bevel. Inside the crystal ball was a crystal sculpture of a red flame with the symbol of the leaf village etched into it in green crystal protected by an orange crystal fox with nine tails.

"That is quite an impressive cane especially the sculpture within," Hiruzen said taking the cane in hand feeling a drain on his expanded reserves before it was gone just as quickly, "What was that?"

"That was likely the drain from the summon seal and the durability and stasis seals. If you apply chakra to it and mentally command a length and width the staff will change to accommodate," Naruto explained his grin growing wider at Hiruzen and Enma' dumbfounded expressions as they looked from the staff to the brothers and then Jiraiya.

"Yeah, I was amazed too! The craziest part was how they applied the seals. They did it as they made the thing it even has a crystal inner column to strengthen the basic structure and even that has seals to add even more durability to the whole thing!" Jiraiya exclaimed in pride

" **You really know how to pick 'em eh Sarutobi**!" Enma bellowed taking in the cane' appearance, " **What is it you need me to test**?"

"We need you to transform and allow Jiji to strike your' Adamantine Staff form to test the durability of the staff, oh and to let you know if you will it the crystal bevel will sharpen like a spear head," Natsu explained before remembering another seal that he added

" **Very well,** " Enma said transforming himself in a cloud of chakra smoke

Hiruzen held the cane in his left hand before suddenly the staff extended to a six-foot length with a four-inch diameter while the crystal bevel remained and an equalizing wood bevel appeared. Hiruzen took a stance and spun the staff through several katas nodding appreciatively at the feel of the staff. He turned with all his might and began pummeling Enma with the bevels and shaft of the Moku-Sho staff **(Moku, wood, Sho, crystal. I think)**. When the assault ended Enma was left with nary a scratch while the Moku-Sho staff had a single crack in the crystal ball.

"It is quite an impressive staff to hold up so well against me in that form," Enma said reverting back to his normal self

"Yes, quite a feat if I say so myself, can it be repaired?" Hiruzen asked looking at the staff thoughtfully

"You tell us Jiji why don't you touch the damage with some chakra?" Natsu asked cheekily

Hiruzen did as he was instructed and watched in amazement as the crack repaired itself, "Incredible this is a true feat of Fuinjutsu, your parents would be so proud!"

Enma barked with laughter clapping the boys on the back, much to their chagrin,

" **Might I trouble you boys for something similar**?" Enma asked politely

"Of course, Enma-san," Naruto replied

" **No formalities boys,** " Enma barked in laughter, " **I would like a similar staff created for myself and I was wondering if you can make anything more artistic**?"

"Yes, that should be simple enough and we can make would figures or crystal but they are limited to being between one inch and three feet in height with the same in width and depth," Natsu replied after a moment of thought

"Speaking of Jiji as payment for these initial Enhanced Element seals we would like a set of vendors licenses to sell some trinkets during the finals tournament," Naruto asked with a smile

"I can't give you any space to sell your' wares and besides how would you sell anything while you fight in the tournament?" Hiruzen asked setting the cane to lean against his desk as he sat down

"Well first we don't need permanent space with storage scrolls and a bit of smoke we can create the wares to order and leave if asked before setting up elsewhere. We can also sell before the tournament since many tourists and fans arrive early. Lastly, we can create Blood clones now thanks to Kyuubi telling us about the technique," Naruto explained with a sheepish smile

"You can make Blood clones now?" Jiraiya asked in shock

"Well we have known how but we just didn't need to," Natsu explained with a sheepish look

"Very well I will grant you each a vendor' license for the next three weeks, now can you make Enma his staff first," Hiruzen asked with a smile

The brothers nodded before clapping Naruto' right hand and Natsu' left hand together and forming hand seals. Natsu channeled Shoton chakra while Naruto channeled Mokuton chakra. As they finished their chain of hand seals they shouted, "Collaboration Jutsu: Creation Moku-Sho Staff!"

From between their free hands chakra began to pool together coalescing into a vertical line before the fine details began to emerge. The staff looked identical to Hiruzen' cane except in the crystal ball sat a white crystal sculpture of Enma meditating with the same symbol in his hands. The staff was also already the same size Hiruzen had created.

" **Incredible** ," Enma muttered as seal writing began to wrap around the staff in a blue glow before disappearing into the staff

Enma took the staff in hand and gave it several test spins before nodding in appreciation, " **This is an excellent weapon especially for training. Now I would like a small figurine of Sarutobi here made for me. He is getting old even if he won't admit it, he needs that cane a little more than he would like, I want it made of wood mostly with some crystal additions** ,"

"Of course, Enma-jiji!" Natsu chirped with a foxy grin getting a small chuckle from Enma

Naruto and Natsu again made a collaboration effort shouting, "Collaboration Ninjutsu: Creation Moku-Sho Figure!"

Chakra once more coalesced to form a thirty centimeter wooden statuette of Hiruzen in his prime in his full battle armor with the Hokage symbol on his head plate and the village symbol etched into the wood backing. Seal writing began to script over the sculpture to protect it and prevent it from decaying. Surrounding Hiruzen were five crystal pillars each representing the five base elements. Within each pillar was etched a vicious dragon their eyes seeming to glow with power.

"This is magnificent, thank you," Enma cheered in slight awe

"Quite impressive boys, I take it you will be selling these?" Hiruzen asked while examining the wood sculpture, "How did you color the wood figure?"

"We used a special coloration seal that we used to use for pranks in the academy to color certain aspects of the statue. We plan on selling these among other things," Naruto explained with a grin

"What other things?" Jiraiya asked intrigued

"We plan to sell statuettes of the various finalists each and the Hokage. I'm selling statuette Nidaime and the Yondaime because their famous moves look better in crystal," Natsu explained with a smile

"I'm selling figurines of yourself and the Shodaime Hokage since your' famous skills look better in wood carving, in our opinion," Naruto said with a wide smirk

Hiruzen raised an eyebrow in question, "May I see these wares of yours'?"

"If you give us fifty ryo a pop you can have the whole collection!" Naruto said in a cheeky tone

"Need I remind you that I am the Hokage?" Hiruzen asked with a mischievous glint in his eye

"No, but, we also already gave you and Enma freebies. We do plan to make some money off this skill," Naruto replied with a smirk

"Fine I want one of the Shodai and Nidaime," Hiruzen replied taking out a plain black wallet and handing over the hundred ryo

Natsu and Naruto each focused their chakra and, with some sleight of hand and chakra smoke, pulled the requested statuettes from a pair of scrolls. The figure of the Shodaime depicted the Shodaime in full armor making a ram seal while a wood dragon coiled around him defensively. The Niidaime' statuette was similar in a crystal 'Water Dragon' coiled around the fully armored Niidaime Hokage.

"Impressive Gaki! I never thought these bloodlines could be used for crafting!" Jiraiya exclaimed taking one of the figures and examining it closely, "The seals are also well done,"

"You know chakra wasn't meant as a weapon we just found a way to blow something up and never looked farther," Natsu said with a melancholic look

"Yes, it seems we as people are quite exceptional at that. It's good to see that some still try to look farther," The Hokage replied with a grandfatherly smile

Before anymore could be said a large and slightly imposing ANBU appeared in the middle of the room startling the brothers but not the wizened shinobi

"Speak Boar," the Hokage commanded with an authoritative tone

"The council has congregated they await your' arrival for the sudden meeting," Boar replied

"Thank you, you are dismissed," Hiruzen replied with a dismissive wave before turning to his guests, "Shall we then?"

 **~Council Chambers~**

The council chambers weren't what the brothers were expecting. The room had lavish red carpeting and rich mahogany paneling that met golden walls with various portraits of the Hokage past and present along with the Leaf symbol painted prominently upon the back wall behind a throne like chair.

On either side of the throne were a pair of peanut galleries. The galleries were made of a dark, sturdy, oak with intricate carvings along the edges. Sitting within the galleries were the council members. On the right-hand side of the Hokage, from his perspective, was the Shinobi council made up of clan heads for the various clans of the village. While conversely on the Hokage' left was the ever-annoying civilian council. These were prominent merchants and such who were voted into office based on their influence in the village.

Hiruzen glanced to a smaller gallery before his throne as he passed by to sit. Here sat his 'advisors' and former teammates. He had noticed that they were slowly trying to usurp him making decisions behind his back and going as far as to order missions without his approval. He wanted to kick them out but without evidence he would just look like a petulant child.

As he sat down a particularly annoying civilian councilor rose to address him. She was of average height and build for a civilian. She kept up on her appearance but age was slowly creeping it' way onto her face. The only extraordinary features she had were her winter pink hair and her shrill banshee screams.

"Hokage-sama, why have you called us here and why are those de-children here?" Mebuki Haruno asked with a sneer to the brothers, an action mirrored by the rest of the civilian council

"This meeting involves these young Ninja," Hiruzen said with an edge in his voice, "Or at least their recent accomplishments. This meeting involves recent developments amongst the academy and the shinobi ranks in general."

"What developments do you refer to, Hokage-sama?" spoke a monotonous voice from the shinobi council

The speaker was none other than Shibi Aburame, father to Shino and head of the Aburame Clan. He had dark spiky hair and dark round glasses. His other features were hidden by his large coat collar.

"I am referring to the seals that many of your' children have had applied, with your' permission, along with those of the current Shinobi force who were given these same seals," Hiruzen replied with a smirk

"You refer to the seals which expand the chakra reserves of the individual or the seals which open nature affinities?" asked Inoichi Yamanaka

"Troublesome," groaned the half conscious Shukaku Nara, "I would bet it's both,"

The entire council turned to the Hokage with looks of shock, worry, and denial.

Hiruzen let a small smirk grace his lips as he gave a nod to the Shinobi standing proudly before the council. Everyone turned to the brothers and Jiraiya before a sigh of relief came to the civilian side

"So, Jiraiya-sama created those seals," said a fat civilian with extravagant clothes and several large rings across his fingers, "They are incredibly useful. My son was denied becoming a shinobi the last graduation but now with these expansion seals and some more focus on teamwork and his studies he is primed to graduate this time!"

"Yes, my daughter was in a similar situation. She is better but I may have her focus more on teamwork as well," spoke another civilian

"Those seals are great! They have allowed our Ninken to actually perform the tree and water walking and even some seal less jutsu!" exclaimed a feral looking woman who greatly resembled Kiba and Hana

"I heard about that Inuzuka-san. These seals have also allowed for my clansmen to carry additional hives and perform elemental jutsu without backlash," Shibi replied with some warmth

The room became awash in praise to Jiraiya about his great work on the seals, mostly by the civilian council. By this point the shinobi council, if only mostly, knew that it was the Uzumaki brothers who spearheaded the creation and only consulted Jiraiya for safety concerns.

"Hahahaha!"

Everyone in the room turned to Jiraiya and the brothers and watched them as they laughed themselves into the ground rolling around while clutching their sides. Tears welled up in their eyes as they listened to the praises directed at the seals from the civilians.

"What so funny?" inquired the fat councilman with an edge in his voice and cold eyes

"You are," replied Jiraiya after he had a moment to calm down

"What's that supposed to mean?" snapped Mebuki with a sneer

"I didn't create the seals. I only helped these two with protecting their work and other security measures," Jiraiya explained giving both Uzumaki a pat on the back, much to the horror of the Civilian Council

"That's impossible! There is no way that those demons could have created something so useful to the village!" one councilman shouted in outrage forgetting his surroundings in favor of throwing all his rage at the brothers

"Sit down Councilman Giro!" barked the Hokage his eyes filled with an intense rage

"You have broken the law and will be taken to Ibiki for questioning," the Hokage growled before snapping his fingers. A pair of ANBU appeared and took Councilman Giro away

"Now, if you are all done being idiots," Hiruzen said levelling a harsh gaze on the civilian side, "We can continue. It is true that these outstanding Shinobi are the source of both seals and that Jiraiya consulted with them on the security measures placed in the seals to prevent them from being copied or stolen by others,"

"Hokage-sama, if these two did in fact create the seals all those weeks ago why are we just now hearing of this?" Hiashi asked giving a meaningful look to the brothers

"Because while I privately discussed their payment for the initial seals made, and now used by the village as a whole, they have requested to negotiate terms for their latest creation with the council but have declared that I have final say as this is a military matter," Hiruzen explained with a neutral expression hiding the swelling pride he felt

"I see, what is this new seal?" Hiashi replied looking to the brothers

"As you know we previously discovered how to attune a person' chakra to one or more of the five base elements," Natsu began gaining nods from the room if only reluctant ones

"We have now discovered how to combine these elements and activate sub-element bloodlines. We won't, however, be considering activating other bloodlines like the Sharingan as the required seals would basically change the DNA of the subject and thus fall under human experimentation, which is illegal," Naruto explained shocking the entire room save Jiraiya and Sarutobi

"We will gladly allow the use of these seals to all however those who receive them must be vetted for their loyalty not just to Konoha as a village or ideal but those within it as well. They must also pass psychological evaluation criteria which will be set forth and carried out by the Yamanaka Clan. The participant must also have a certain level of chakra, Level 3 seals or higher, to gain a bloodline seal," Natsu added with a serious expression

"Why must we test our own shinobi in such a way," asked a crippled looking man on the Shinobi side

"If they don't meet the chakra requirement most of the jutsu associated with the bloodline are too draining as is the training to use the bloodlines. The psych evaluations are for the benefit of everyone. Would you want to give such an ability to another Orochimaru? No, that is why we won't just give it to anyone," Naruto explained with a slight glare

"We could simply force you to give us the seals," the old man replied

Natsu and Naruto both glared at the man their eyes glowing behind their contacts before they widened in shock. The brothers quickly calmed down and schooled their features, much to the displeasure of the man.

"I won't allow it Danzo. We have already done enough against these boys…" Hiruzen began

"Yeah, like removing our clan from history," Naruto muttered under his breath

"What was that Naruto?" Hiruzen asked in a monotone

"Someone decided to remove our clan from history completely and gave many of the battle accomplishments from our clan to Konoha in general," Naruto replied in an icy tone

The Shinobi council looked aghast for a few moments. They hadn't even noticed the lack of recognition their children had to the Uzumaki name.

"Koharu, Homura, do you know anything about this?" Hiruzen asked in an equally cold tone

"H-Hiruzen, we can explain!" Koharu whimpered

"After the second war and our failure to protect our own allies we thought it best that this generation not learn about our failures so we erased them," Homura explained with a stern face

"You idiots! Just because these children don't know doesn't mean it never happened! You have made them blind to our own allies while our enemies remain aware and vigilant. By forgetting our mistakes, we become prone to making them again," Hiruzen added giving a death glare to his 'Advisors'

"We didn't realize that at the time!" Koharu interjected

"I call bullshit! You didn't change the history books until our family died. The only reason you decided to be because no one was around to call you out on it! Sandaime-sama was too busy rebuilding this Kami forsaken village to notice you destroying the educational system of the village. You two and whoever helped you are the reason there is only a 33% success rate in the academy!" Naruto shouted with glowing eyes and some KI

"Naruto-kun, please calm down. I'll deal with this later," Hiruzen said with a stern voice

"Hai, Hokage-sama," Naruto replied while taking a calming breath

"Now, I believe that we got off topic. I will investigate these tangents personally however," Hiruzen said causing the advisors to pale

"All those in favor of the stipulations for the regulation of these seals raise your' hands," the Hokage continued

Around the room most of the councilmembers raised their hands save for Danzo, Mibuki, and the fat man

"It is agreed we will carefully verify those applicants for the seals. What are the available seals?" Hiruzen asked calmly with a warm smile

"We have figured out the combinations for: Hyoton; Shoton; Youton; Renton; Jinton; Futton; Shakuton; and Mokuton. Some were easier to find than others but we found what we could. These seals are powerful and will bind into the chakra coils of the person becoming invisible even to Dojutsu as the seal will be activated by the bearer' own chakra. It is recommended that the subject is given the required base elements of the Bloodline to increase it' power and decrease the drain of the available jutsu," Natsu explained pulling out a scroll with a list

"What do you mean 'available Jutsu'?" Choza Akamichi asked in confusion

"We mean that it is very hard to find Kekkei Genkai based jutsu unless you're from the village it's from and have it. Otherwise you only get reports of our own against such attacks and what they could remember of the hand signs. Luckily while many Uchiha couldn't use these jutsu they may have still recorded them. It may become prudent to have Lord Uchiha look into his family library for such information," Naruto explained grimacing slightly at 'Lord Uchiha'

"That would be a prudent search. Those Uchiha were always copying whatever they could in battle…and practice," Tsume Inuzuka said with a slight nod

"Are there any other questions?" Jiraiya interjected

"Yes, what do you want in return for the use of these restricted seals?" Danzo asked with a hidden smirk

"Well what could we ask for bro?" Natsu began with fake bewilderment

"Maybe we could ask to be treated like humans when we walk into a shop?" Naruto replied in equally faked confusion

"Oh! We could ask for normal prices when we go even if they curse us we only pay the regular price that way," Natsu added placing his fist on his open hand

"They would never agree to any of that," Naruto said turning to the council grinning at the disgusted looks the civilians were getting from the shinobi council

"Maybe we could get Akamichi-san to give us the proper rates or service in his clan' businesses?" Natsu replied

"Would you Akamichi-san?" Naruto asked with faked intrigue

"I had no knowledge you weren't being allowed service or proper prices. I am obliged to do so even if not for these seals," Choza replied solemnly before muttering, "To starve children is unforgivable,"

"We appreciate that so then how about we sell you them for a thousand Ryo a seal?" Natsu replied with a foxy grin

"All in favor?" Hiruzen asked raising his own hand

The room again raised their hands in agreement save for several additional civilians

"It is agreed then. Konoha will buy these seals from you for one thousand Ryo each. May we see a demonstration of your' abilities with them?" Hiruzen asked

In response Natsu, Naruto, and Jiraiya each made a ram seal and focused their chakra. In Natsu' hand appeared a trio of onyx black octagonal crystal shuriken while Naruto created three wooden senbon between the fingers of his right hand, while several balls of white flame drifted lazily around Jiraiya' head.

"Impressive," replied Shibi, his hive buzzing in agreement

"We have spent the last week after creating the seals mastering what we can of our elements," Naruto explained with a smile

"We won't hurt anyone with them, unless we want to, mostly," Natsu said with a sheepish smile

"We trained some defensive Jutsu and even a few original ones," Jiraiya explained putting out the spinning fire balls

"Thank you for attending. This meeting is adjourned we will contact you when we require your' services," Hiruzen said before getting up, "Inoichi, Koharu, Homura, will you please come with me?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama," replied all three albeit reluctant on the advisors' parts

" _I'll have to do something about this soon_ ," Danzo thought as he watched the Hokage take his advisors away

 **~That Evening: Balcony of Golden Leaf Hotel: Midnight~**

Baki stood on the balcony looking into the room at his most uncontrollable student. The supreme insomniac of Suna, sleeping. It had terrified the Jonin at first but when Gaara didn't transform and instead had a remained serine the whole night Baki was amazed.

None of the Suna nin understood what happened but somehow the seal Lady Chiho had placed on Gaara had been altered allowing him to sleep peacefully without fear of destroying anything while he slept. Not that the deranged boy showed much remorse when he did as a child.

Baki was torn from his thought by a sudden presence near him. He spun around to the rest of the small balcony and tensed at the sight of the blank masked ANBU.

He had heard horrific tails of the ruthless and cold killing machines of the Leaf but never believed them. He remained tensed but nodded to the ANBU.

"I was sent with instructions by my master. Your' original go between was captured. The plan will continue but Konoha likely knows of Orochimaru' intentions. The information in regards to Root helping may not be as well known. I must leave soon here is a sealing tag which will bypass your' Jinchuriki' defective seal and allow the beast out," the Root operative explained in an emotionless voice

"What will happen to Gaara when the tag is used?" Baki asked while taking the tag

"What does it matter? The Jinchuriki is but a tool of Suna. A very powerful tool but replaced easily enough," The operative replied without a hint of emotion

"I see. We will keep our end of the bargain. Konoha won't know what hit them. Now shall I take care of the pest or would you prefer?" Baki asked with a glint in his eyes

"Prove your' loyalty and kill him," the operative replied

"Gladly," Baki replied with a smirk

Hayate Gekko was more than just your' average Jonin. His greatest skill was with the katana strapped to his back. He was the premier swords master of Konoha and would be an Elite Jonin were it not for his respiratory condition.

When he heard the topic of discussion he immediately tensed and let his camouflage to slip slightly. Hayate, realizing he was caught, started running toward the Hokage tower. He jumped from roof to roof avoiding and deflecting various kunai and shuriken until he was cornered on the rook of an innocuous apartment complex.

"You should have just minded your' own business," Baki chided with a glare

"I couldn't leave you (cough) to plan such an atrocity. Besides now we have evidence that Danzo is still active or at least that ROOT is still being controlled by someone," Hayate said while he reached for his Katana

"Yes, I suppose you would gain that information, if I let you live!" Baki shouted before he threw a Kaze no Yaiba at Hayate

Hayate nimbly dodged the blades of wind before making a ram seal creating two clones of himself. The clones rushed in toward Baki forcing him into a defensive stance before they let loose a pair of horizontal strikes at his neck only for the blades to go right through him.

Baki' eyes widened in surprise before a third strike landed. He was just able to dodge at the last instant injuring his shoulder but avoiding a fatal wound.

"To have mastered the Dance of the Crescent Moon at such a tender age, I am impressed but, a physical sword is easy to block or dodge unlike a wind blade," Baki said with a wide grin watching Hayate struggle to remove his sword from Baki' injured shoulder. His grin grew even wider before he let loose a group of Kaze no Yaiba point blank.

Hayate fell back with a deep gash in his stomach with blood slowly pooling below him. As his vision began to fade and his eyes began to cloud he looked up to the moon with one final thought, "The plan worked to perfection,"

 **~To be Continued~**

 **Hey guys, once more, sorry for the long wait. This is my longest chapter yet with tons of plot and benefiller! I hope ur not made and that you enjoy. Like I said up top, check out 'Legacy' and 'Gogyo no Naruto' both are in my fav list. I altered the ideas but the inspiration was all from those two. I also want to apologize again. I meant to have this up at Christmas but my IRL got complex and I couldn't write.**

 **Hope you enjoy and forgive me R &R! (^_^)/**

 **P.S.: Sorry for the various spellings. I'm not sure how some stuff is spelled and seeing as I wrote most of this in two days it was too tedious to look up every hard word.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey guys I'm back again with the second half. I hope you enjoyed last chapter because it is just getting started. I will begin the Finals in this chapter but I might not do much of a Tournament, I still hate writing those damn things! They're more fun to read than they are to write. Anyways, Enjoy (^_^)/!**

 **P.S. I only recently found time to write again after I found employment. I am now working in the food service industry and have only just started getting more regular hours. I will try to write more though and greatly appreciate the patience and kindness of you all. Thank You.**

 **Now that all the touchy-feely crap is done… On with the Fic!**

 **~Last Time~**

"I see. We will keep our end of the bargain. Konoha won't know what hit them. Now shall I take care of the pest or would you prefer?" Baki asked with a glint in his eyes

"Prove your' loyalty and kill him," the operative replied

"Gladly," Baki replied with a sadistic smirk

Hayate Gekko was more than just your' average Jonin. His greatest skill was with the katana strapped to his back. He was the premier swords master of Konoha and would be an Elite Jonin were it not for his respiratory condition.

When he heard the topic of discussion he immediately tensed and let his camouflage to slip slightly. Hayate, realizing he was caught, started running toward the Hokage tower. He jumped from roof to roof avoiding and deflecting various kunai while trying to release as much chakra as possible hoping to alert the patrolling ANBU, until he was cornered on the roof of an innocuous, and strangely empty, apartment complex.

"You should have just minded your own business," Baki chided as though scolding a young child

"I couldn't leave you (cough) to plan such an atrocity. Besides now we have evidence that Danzo is still active or at least that ROOT is still being controlled by someone," Hayate said while subtly reaching for his Katana

"Yes, I suppose you would, if I let you live!" Baki shouted before he threw a Kaze no Yaiba at Hayate

Hayate nimbly dodged the blades of wind before making a ram seal creating two clones of himself. The clones rushed in toward Baki forcing him into a defensive stance before they let loose a pair of horizontal strikes at his neck only for the blades to go right through him.

Baki' eyes widened in surprise before a third strike landed. He was just able to dodge at the last instant injuring his shoulder but avoiding a fatal wound.

"To have mastered the Dance of the Crescent Moon at such a tender age, I am impressed but, a physical sword is easy to block or dodge unlike a wind blade," Baki said with a wide grin as Hayate struggled to remove his sword from Baki' injured shoulder. His grin grew even wider before he let loose another **Kaze no Yaiba** point blank.

Hayate fell back with a deep gash in his stomach with blood slowly pooling below him. As his vision began to fade and his eyes began to cloud he looked up to the moon with one final thought, " _The plan worked to perfection_ ,"

 **~Five Minutes Ago: Uzumaki Apartment~**

Naruto, Natsu, and Jiraiya sat around the table celebrating their success against the damned civilian council. Jiraiya was telling them stories from when he trained Minato and his teammates even throwing in some stories from when Hiruzen had trained the Sannin.

" _ **Of course, the pervert would create a Jutsu for the sole purpose of peeping at the kunoichi hot springs**_ ," Kurama-yang said with mirth and exaggerated aggravation

" _And who's the one who taught me in hopes I'd do the same?_ " Naruto retorted mentally

" **Not the one who has been using their invisibility Jutsu for that** ," Kurama-yin chuckled as Natsu blushed nearly Hinata red for a moment

" _Only before I started dating Ino_!" replied Natsu trying to save some dignity

"That didn't stop you from peeping on her though," Replied a chuckling Kurama-yin causing Naruto to give his older brother a teasing grin

The brothers were soon busy laughing as Jiraiya told them about being tied to the post day one when he suddenly shot to his feet and ran to the window. Naruto was the first to react and ran over as well. Natsu took a second longer to calm down before joining his brother and sensei by the window only to gasp in shock at the scene playing out in the pale moonlight.

As the clouds parted above the street became illuminated by the pale moonlight revealing two fighters atop an adjacent apartment complex the brothers could clearly see Hayate fighting with the Jonin sensei from Suna, thanks to their Kitsunegan.

"Jiraiya, what do we do?" Naruto asked after collecting his thoughts

"If my suspicions are correct then we can't let the Suna-nin know that Hayate is alive, _but we can't let him die either_ ," Jiraiya said while the battle between Jonin raged on with a flurry of kunai and katana slashes

"What if we Henged a Blood clone? They don't disappear unless the command is given if they 'die' they decompose in a way," Natsu interjected his fists clenched in rage

"How do we switch them?" Naruto asked his eyes never leaving the battle

"I can use Kawarimi with a shinobi of Hayate' caliber. I can switch myself with him and then switch back with the clone without getting noticed," Jiraiaya said opening the window in preparation

"Right!" the brothers shouted in agreement

Naruto pulled out a vial of blood before going through a quick chain of hand seals, spilling the vial, and shouting, "Blood Clone Jutsu!"

 **(AN: Couldn't remember the Japanese name for it might mix it up with the more obscure Jutsu names from now on)**

From the puddle of blood rose an identical solid copy of Naruto. The copy made the Ram seal and, in a puff of smoke, transformed himself in Hayate, complete with sword. Jiraiya nodded at the clone before he switched himself with the real Hayate only to Kawarimi with the clone so fast the brothers almost thought the clone was still in the apartment. Jiraiya quickly shut the window and pulled Hayate to the ground the brothers following quickly.

Hayate pushed away from Jiraiya and leveled his katana before his surroundings registered with him. He took in the unfinished dinner and the beds in the small apartment. He looked back at his 'attacker' and saw Jiraiya looking out the window and the Uzumaki brothers looking at him warily.

"What the hell is going on here?" Hayate whispered after calming slightly his katana still poised and at the ready

"Ero-sensei saw you and the Suna-nin fighting on the building across the street and we made a plan to get you out of there. It wasn't perfect but it worked," Naruto explained with a relieved grin

"Yugao-chan will be happy about that," Hayate joked before he hunched over in an extreme coughing fit

"Why did he attack you?" Naruto asked once Hayate' fit had subsided

Hayate' eyes widened when he remembered what he overheard, "I need to get to Hokage-sama immediately!"

"We can't do that right now. I'll get Sarutobi-sensei to pay a little visit here in the morning right now we need to hide you," Jiraiya spoke up after seeing Baki retreat back to his hotel

"I guess you're right," Hayate said while rubbing his eyes

Natsu walked up to the Jonin with a plate of steamed vegetables and beef, "Here you should eat before you rest," he said with a kind smile

"Thanks kid," Hayate replied wearily taking a small test bite before a small smile spread across his face and he began digging in with a coughing fit or two thrown in for good measure

Once the food was clear, and everyone was satisfied, Hayate took a more detailed look around the small apartment. He looked to the left of the door and saw a small bathroom with a shower and a toilet that doubled as a sink. To the right was a small kitchen where the brothers were busy washing the dinner dishes laughing with each other about some joke one had told. He looked to his left and found an old looking weather-beaten book shelf with various family photos of the boys after a prank or with the few friends they seemed to have.

Jiraiya watched with amusement as Hayate took in the small apartment, "Incredible to think they've lived on their own since they were four, ne?"

Hayate snapped his attention back to Jiraiya and gave a sheepish nod, "I was actually wondering why there's so little damage to most of this stuff," at Jiraiya confused yet upset look Hayate clarified, "Yugao has told me about some of the more destructive vandals that attack them,"

"We learned stasis and repair seals early on in our Fuinjutsu study for that very reason," Natsu said as he and Naruto sat down into the conversation

"Yeah, we put 'em on just about everything easy to break or that is important. The shelves are new though I made the frames and took the pictures out of our secure storage," Naruto explained with a proud grin

"Impressive work, for a Genin," Hayate quipped before a large coughing fit hit him

"I think it's time for us all to get some shut eye," Jiraiya said giving Hayate a worried glance, "Hokage-sama will come visit early tomorrow morning. Until then stay here and stay hidden,"

"Hai Jiraiya-sama," Hayate replied, "Do you need to know what I found first?"

Jiraiya smacked himself in the forehead before giving a light glare to the twins, "Why didn't one of you remind me?"

"I was trying to calm him down and make sure he ate after all the chakra he used in that fight," Natsu replied with a shrug

"I figured you were gonna wait for Jiji to ask tomorrow morning," Naruto replied picking his ear

Jiraiya sighed in mock frustration while wiping a hand down his weary face before a wry grin crossed his face thinking "These two are quite the jokesters, _just like Kushina_ ,"

"I was making my rounds around the village patrolling for disorderly civilians or guests snooping where they shouldn't be when I came across Baki speaking with a strange ANBU," Hayate said with a grim expression

"What was so strange about him?" Jiraiya asked his ever-present notepad out and ready

"His mask. I know a few ANBU personally and they all have some animal depicted on their masks but this guy, his mask was completely blank," Hayate clarified earning a growl of frustration from the Toad Sage

"That was no ANBU that was a mistake long thought taken care of," Jiraiya growled out

Looking around at the confused faces of Hayate and the Uzumaki brothers he elaborated.

"Years ago, there was a second division of ANBU known as ROOT. While the ANBU took on the worst of the worst missions available ROOT took on the darkest and most depraved. Nothing ROOT did was clean. Their methods of training were so cruel it left the survivors as nothing but empty shells. Shells then filled with knowledge of how to infiltrate, kill, and not be caught."

There was a tense silence in the room as everyone took in this new information. The looks of disbelief were slowly becoming those of outrage at the thought of something so cruel. Those same looks soon paled at Jiraiya' next revelation

"They were also taught one other 'fact' the village is all that matters. The people within it are nothing but tools to be used to better the village and make it the undisputed power of the nations. Root operatives were made fiercely loyal to their leader through this philosophy as they were conditioned to believe he is the only one capable of such,"

Naruto was positively shaking with suppressed rage. Flashes of his mission in Nami no Kuni came to the forefront of his mind. The old Haku, the emotionless tool of Zabuza Momochi. The same kunoichi he had seen smiling and laughing just days ago on the arm of his best friend. That someone from his own village, the village of 'Teamwork above all' would put a person let alone entire squads of people through such hellish training, taking the soul right out of them, was beyond infuriating to Naruto. He felt like tearing this person apart the only thing that stopped him was he didn't know who.

Natsu was in no better condition, if anything he was worse off.

Natsu thought back to their recent council meeting and the crippled man with the strangely familiar chakra that shrouded his 'useless' arm and 'missing' eye. He remembered the cold hollow feeling the man exuded. His presence was commanding but empty filled with nothing but arrogance, hatred, and disgust at the sight of the Kyuubi' Jinchuriki let alone having to negotiate with the things.

His mind began putting together little things from over the years. The way the same man used to follow the brothers and watch their early training. The way old man Hokage would tense with bitterness and unease whenever the same man would enter his office, especially when the Uzumaki brothers were present.

All these little facts and more began coming together in his mind before a rage like never before seemed to engulf him. Natsu understood that a small part of the feeling was his and another was Naruto' but with that came another realization, just as he knew who the man was so now did Kurama.

Looking to Naruto Natsu knew they had both realized the implications of this and both began trying to calm down their respective tenants knowing that releasing any Kyuubi chakra at this point would only draw suspicion to them and potentially reveal Hayate's location and status as living.

The Nine-tails was fit to rip someone to shreds as his containers pieced together who the perpetrator was and with each memory of the man or the strange 'empty people' that followed the boys over the years his already boundless rage grew. This boundless rage was only kept back with the knowledge that going after the bastard could endanger his hosts. Their pleas to calm down slowly got to the great beast but one thing remained

" **That Bastard**!" was growled out simultaneously by two Uzumaki in the coldest, deadliest, tone either of the senior shinobi had heard to date

"Yes, Danzo Shimura was the Leader of ROOT but after the truth behind their training methods and mission history was revealed, including several missions the Sandaime himself had declined personally, was ROOT officially shut down," Jiraiya said with a dark almost haunted look

"And unofficially?" Hayate asked already guessing at the answer

"They seem to be active but are subtler about it all," Jiraiya said darkly "This can't wait 'til morning I have to get you to the Hokage as soon as possible,"

"How do we do that without me being spotted?" Hayate asked knowing that even the **Shunshin no Jutsu** could be seen by a skilled enough Shinobi

Jiraiya was thinking hard before a glance at the brothers seemed to grant him an answer as he pointed at the brothers, "These two can help with that,"

Naruto looked to Natsu who gave an affirmative nod,

"I guess it can't be helped here Jiraiya take this and drop it to the ground once you seal the office," Naruto said before pulling out a kunai that made Hayate gasp in shock. Not from the drawing of the weapon but from the recognition of what the weapon meant. In the young Genin' open hand lied a three-prong kunai with a wooden handle that had kanji written down the side

"Yup, it's exactly how it looks and we all need you to keep this a secret until after these two make Chunin," Jiraiya said to the shocked swordsman, who's jaw had yet to leave the floor as the Sanin Shunshined away to the Hokage tower

"When you're done mopping the floor with your jaw you might want to grab on," Naruto jibbed as he took hold of the two remaining occupants of the apartment

 **~Hokage Tower: Moments earlier~**

Hiruzen sat in behind his desk doing paper work with the help of three Shadow Clones, a feat the aging Sandaime hadn't managed so casually in nearly a decade. He was nearly done when a gust of wind forced the piles of paperwork to fly about the office, much to his frustration.

As Hiruzen turned to greet his guest appropriately he was floored by the serious look his usually casual former student was displaying so much so he almost missed the request of his student.

"Sarutobi-sensei, please send away your' ANBU except Neko-chan I have an urgent matter which concerns you, her, and quite possibly the whole of Konoha!" Jiraiya requested with as much respect as he could muster, but the urgency in his voice and the stiffness of his body language outweighed any.

"ANBU leave us, except you Neko," the Sandaime ordered and soon the other three ANBU operative's presences left as Neko seemed to materialize out of the shadows of a nearby bookcase.

Jiraiya looked around the room before pulling out several sealing tags and applying them to the door and closed windows. He then went through a quick series of hand seals before shouting, "Uzumaki Secret Fuinjutsu: Cut Away!" Suddenly each of the sealing tags began to glow as the walls became muted and grey while the windows and door became pitch black.

"Jiraiya, what is this about and what is this seal?" Hiruzen asked awed by the privacy seals that had just effectively cut off the room from the outside world

"This is a new privacy barrier the twins came up with it works on a principle of the Hiraishin and storage scrolls placing the room and its' occupants into an alternate space thus keeping all information spoken here from prying eyes and ears," Jiraiya then gestured to the book shelf where a book had suddenly caught fire and continued, "It also has the nasty side effect of making spy seals backfire and self-destruct within the space,"

"I see, and I suspect I know who placed such a seal within my office. Neko I want this office swept for such seals daily at irregular intervals," Hiruzen ordered while giving Jiraiya a calculating look

"What is it that has you so worried Jiraiya?"

"I was celebrating their success with the twins when we were witness to a fight across the rooftops of the building across the street. We were able to save the Konoha-nin involved without notice but that wasn't what has me so disturbed. When we questioned him, he informed me that Baki, the Suna Jonin in charge of the Kazekage' children, was seen speaking with an ANBU that had a blank mask," Jiraiya explained earning a gasp from Neko while Hiruzen slammed a fist into his desk leaving a sizeable dent

"What were they discussing?" Hiruzen asked with a deadly calm voice

"I think it's best that he reports his findings to you himself," Jiraiya explained and with that he took out Naruto' three-prong kunai and dropped it down into the floor and within seconds Naruto, Natsu, and a still stunned Hayate appeared in a flash of yellow lightning

Hiruzen sat behind his desk stunned at the sight of his successor' most fabled jutsu. When he looked at the smiling Uzumaki before him he made a mental note to have them explain later but first, "Hayate, I'm glad to see you are alright, what do you have to report?"

"During the Chunin exam finals a contingent of Suna and Oto shinobi will attack the village, as we already know, but they will have strategic aid from ROOT and as the agent I saw put it, Lord Danzo himself," Hayate relayed gravely taking in the rage that was radiating off the Sandaime Hokage

"I should have killed him when I had the chance," Hiruzen muttered darkly, "We need to change the patrol and rotation schedule for everyone, what is your' status to the Suna-nin?"

"He believes that Hayate is dead due to the quick thinking of these two knuckleheads," Jiraiya said before explaining what had happened atop that roof leaving the Hokage in a bit of awe while Neko seemed to be choking back tears of relief

"Thank you all for saving Hayate," Neko said after a few moments

"There's something else Jiji," Naruto said gaining the attention of the room before the Hokage motioned for the young Genin to continue

"Earlier, in the council meeting, we used our Kitsunegan and took in the council. When we saw the bastard's arm we noticed a strange chakra that wasn't his coming from it along with several other smaller ones all along the arm and his bandaged eye," Naruto said making the elder shinobi pale

" **Tell the Old Monkey that the chakra signature in that bastard's arm is just like the signature given off by Hashirama Senju when I fought him under the influence of Madara Uchiha in their final battle** ," Kurama-yin growled with pure loathing

"The Kyuubi says that he has seen similar signatures before. The largest remind him of Hashirama Senju's from the Battle of the End. While we had seen chakra similar to the smaller ones coming from Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke," Natsu added making Hiruzen gain an expression of pure rage while Jiraiya looked sick

"How far has he truly fallen?" Hiruzen asked aloud to no one and everyone there

"The only people with the medical expertise for something like that are my former teammates and while Tsunade may hate the village she would never betray the place her loved ones gave their lives for," Jiraiya said in a grave tone

"The question is, how long has he had such an appendage and what did he give to get it?" Neko chimed in, her shock plateauing for the time being

"It would have had to be after the Uchiha Massacre but before Orochimaru defected. We know that by then Orochimaru had been experimenting with recreating the Mokuton and had a small success. Which was why we ran him out of the village," Jiraiya surmised as the atmosphere kept becoming more tense

"It would seem my greatest regrets are coming to haunt me in full force. Two of the things I regret most are not killing these two when I had the chance," Hiruzen said with a deep sigh before turning to the Uzumaki twins

"You two will tell no one about this. Good work tonight return home and prepare as best you can for the tournament next week. The four of us will discuss plans for the invasion while you two rest," Hiruzen said in a stern but kind voice

"Hai, Hokage-sama!" was returned showing the brothers understood just how serious these revelations were

"Before we leave Jiji take this," Naruto said reaching for a storage seal on his thigh and removing a large scroll

"What is this Naruto-kun?" Hiruzen asked a he took the scroll

"A set of charged barrier seals which will withstand Gamabunta falling on them three times before collapsing. Use them for the major points like the tower, hospital, and the academy," Naruto explained receiving a proud smile and genuine thank you from the aging Kage

The brothers then disappeared in a flash of red light that left the Hokage smiling until he turned to his subordinates and began planning for what could be the bloodiest battle he'd seen in decades.

 **~Konoha Stadium: One Week Later~**

Thousands crowded the streets of Konohagakure no Sato as people from across the elemental nations gathered to see the incredible skill and strength of the Chunin Exam Finalists. Amongst these were Daimayo and rich business men whose ryo would hopefully soon line the coffers of the most impressive villages.

The streets were predictably lined with merchants sell various memorabilia associated with the represented villages or the competitors in general. The most popular of which were two seemingly unrelated stands selling figurines of varying size even lawn statues of the competitors or their symbols made from beautifully cut crystal or astonishingly detailed wood carvings.

Within the stadium spectators were placing bets or trying to find seating amongst the general populace. Surrounding the various Daimayo and other VIP guests were the runner up Genin of Konoha and their sensei. They were assigned to protect the VIP guests during the exam but also got the best seats to watch their friends compete.

 **~Arena Floor: The Finals Begin~**

In the arena floor stood nine of the ten contestants scheduled. As the opening ceremony approached two finalists were missing Fuu of Takigakure and Sasuke Uchiha of Konoha.

The absence of both first-round competitors was worrisome to most of the onllookers, especially those whom had placed bets on either the Uchiha to win or for the talented Taka Kunoichi.

Standing in the middle of the arena were the remaining finalists and one Genma Shiranui, an elite Jonin of Konohagakure and the replacement proctor for the deceased Hayate Gekko.

Genma wore the standard Jonin uniform of Konoha with his headband worn as a backwards headwrap. As always, he was chewing on a senbon as he surveyed the steadily filling stadium.

He glanced up to the Kage box where the Sandaime Hokage sat with his honored guests Jiraiya of the legendary Sannin and the Yondaime Kazekage Sabaku Rasa.

Rasa wore the traditional robes of the Kazekage similar to the Hokage robes but where the Hokage's were red the Kazekage's were teal. He also wore a silk veil to disguise his face.

 **~Kage Box~**

Hiruzen had watched closely as all but two of the finalists entered the arena and took their places before Genma and the surrounding crowd. As each finalist had entered a growing sense of dread took root in the Hokage.

The kages waited patiently for the remaining two competitors but, as the time whittled down Sarutobi turned to one of his guards to deliver a message, "Tell Genma that the first round competitors have been disqualified due to not showing up,"

"Yes, Hokage-sama!" the guard, a Chunin with a large and prominent burn scar across his face replied

"Hold a moment Hokage-dono?" the Kazekage interrupted

"Yes, Kazekage-dono?" Hiruzen replied with a glance in his direction

"Many of the people here came solely for the chance to see the Uchiha fight, you wouldn't want to disappoint so many potential clients now, would you?" the Kazekage asked with a raised eyebrow

Hiruzen looked surprised at the Kazekage for a moment, "I would not expect you to want to see more of my shinobi here, not with Suna's current economic difficulties and with only your daughter having made it to the finals, whereas, even without Sasuke I have seven other Chunin hopefuls from my village participating,"

"I simply do not wish for the crowd to be disappointed, Hokage-dono," the Kazekage replied politely

Hiruzen eyed the Kazekage carefully as he spoke. The only outward expression of the Kazekage's inner rage was the slightest twitch of his eye and the clenching of his fist.

"Be that as it may, I cannot allow Sasuke to participate and represent Konoha if he can't even be bothered to show up on time," the Hokage replied

"Does Kakashi Hatake, the infamous Copy nin, not arrive late periodically to meetings and most mission briefings?" the Kazekage replied with a hidden smirk, "And is he not the boy's sensei?"

"I will be speaking with you after all this is over Kakashi," Hiruzen thought with some irritation, "He does and is but that is no excuse for them not to be here. Kakashi knows that for his student this rates the same importance as a B or A-rank mission, which Kakashi is never late for,"

"Yes, well the crowd will still be disappointed if the boy is not allowed to compete," the Kazekage continued undaunted

"Very well, Sasuke and Fuu's match will be postponed as the last match of the round," at this the Kazekage began to smirk, "However, Sasuke will not be allowed promotion to Chunin due to his tardiness and thus lack of respect to not only myself but all those in the crowd,"

"By your command Hokage-sama," the Chunin replied before the Kazekage could argue more

Rasa turned back to the Sandaime, "Are you sure it was wise to deny the boy promotion?"

"Actions have consequences, just as inaction does, we make our choices and we must suffer the consequences of those choices," Hiruzen looked pointedly at the Kazekage, "Whatever the reason we are bound by our actions and equally bound by the path not taken,"

Rasa didn't show it but the Hokage's words had brought his misgivings about the success of this plan to the forefront of his mind until he had a realization, "They know!"

Rasa looked to his left at his 'Guard', and in that moment, knew he had made a deal with something worse than the devil. His guard simply smirked back at him knowingly his shoulders shaking with barely suppressed laughter his eyes swimming with a sadistic mirth. Just as quickly as it had come the mirth was gone replaced by ice.

Rasa turned back to the stadium knowing full well today may very well end with the fall of Konoha, but would it be at the price of Suna?

 **~To be Continued~**

 **Round 1: Sasuke Uchiha V. Fuu of Takigakure**

 **Round 2: Temari of the Desert V. Shikamaru Nara**

 **Round 3: Hinata Hyuuga V. Shino Aburame**

 **Round 4: Akiro Okami V. Haku Momochi**

 **Round 5: Naruto Uzumaki V. Natsu Uzumaki**


	16. Chapter 16

**~Stadium Floor~**

The scarred Chunin reappeared in a puff of smoke beside Genma and relayed the Hokage's orders to the young proctor.

Genma gave a small nod to the messenger and then one towards the Kage box before turning to the crowd.

"By order of the Sandaime Hokage the first match of the first round will be postponed until the end of the first round. Sasuke Uchiha will not be allowed promotion to Chunin regardless of his showing here today," at this much of the crowd booed while some were simply relieved they would still see the fight, "With that settled let us begin the new first round will Temari no Sabaku and Shikamaru Nara please stay while the rest of you return to the fighter's box,"

The Konoha contingent all wished Shikamaru luck as they passed by getting a lazy little wave in response from the Nara Genius.

Temari and Shikamaru stood before Genma eyeing each other preparing for the match to come.

Temari smirked and said in a cocky tone, "Don't expect me to be weak like the fangirls you Konoha shinobi call Kunoichi!"

"Wouldn't (Yawn) dream of it doll face," Shikamaru replied lazily causing a tick mark to appear on Temari's forehead

"Are both competitors ready?" Genma asked as Temari slid into a simple Taijutsu stance her fan drawn to the first moon as a scowl marring her features as Shikamaru stood lazily with his hands in his pockets

Genma glanced at the two, hands raised, before he dropped his hands and jumped back shouting, "Hajime!"

Temari sent a wave of concussive wind chakra at Shikamaru who took the hit across his torso only to move with the wind looking just as lazy as ever as he went flipping through the air with a bored expression on his face as he flew toward the wall.

Just before he hit the wall he adjusted the angle of his flip to land against the wall on his feet sticking there with chakra he went through several hand seals before stopping on the rat seal. The shadows began to condense behind him and suddenly tendrils of shadow erupted from the wall behind him and shot off towards Temari.

Temari's eyes widened as the shadows rushed forward at a frightening speed. She began to flip backward away from the attack dodging left and right as the tendrils attacked. She kept this up for several moments until, with a visible snap, the shadows stopped moving forward still reaching for her but unmoving.

She gave Shikamaru a superior smirk seeing this and drew a line in the earth with her fan, "So, this is the range of your clan's famed **'Shadow Paralysis Jutsu'**? The records in Suna made it sound almost dangerous,"

"That would be true if this were the old **'Shadow Paralysis Jutsu'** or even the newer **'Shadow Possession Jutsu'** but this is neither," Shikamaru replied lazily

"Then what is it?" Temari asked while wearily looking at the still outstretched tendrils of darkness

The crowd gasped as Temari's shadow darkened beneath her and widened as a figure emerged from the inky depths.

"A distraction," Shikamaru replied from behind her placing a kunai at her neck

Temari's eyes widened as she glanced back at the spot on the wall where another Shikamaru stood. The tendrils of shadow reeled back toward the first Shikamaru before his skin turned black as night his clothes followed suite before he dissolved into a puddle of shadow on the ground and slithered to the real Shikamaru.

At that moment several members of the Nara clan and audience gasped again as they watched Shikamaru's shadow reattach itself to him

"How? When?" Temari sputtered out, " _What the hell is going on!? All our information on the Nara said they were lazy and unmotivated and it sure as hell never mentioned they could do that_!"

"Just a trick a friend helped me come up with over the last month," Shikamaru replied in a bored tone

"How did you avoid my attack?!" Temari demanded

"Yield and I may answer your question," Shikamaru replied pressing the kunai harder against her neck while his free hand made a half Rat sign

Temari glared back at him before letting out and aggravated sigh, "Fine, Proctor I yield!"

"Winner by forfeit: Shikamaru Nara of Konoha!" Genma shouted to the cheers of the crowd

"Now, tell me how you avoided that attack!" Temari demanded

"Nah, I'm going back to the fighter's box to take a nap before the next round," Shikamaru replied before walking toward the exit

"What do you mean 'No'? You said you would tell me!" Temari shouted after him

Shikamaru turned back with a lazy glare, "I said I may tell you I never promised I would,"

"Please go to the viewing stands so we may continue with the next match," Genma interrupted before Temari could deliver a retort

Temari glared at the Jonin proctor before stomping off to the general stands grumbling about lazy assholes.

"Will Hinata Hyuuga and Shino Aburame please make their way to the arena floor!" Genma ordered

 **~Finalist's Box~**

The Konoha hopefuls turned to congratulate Shikamaru on his win and wish either Shino or Hinata luck.

"Great job Shika that jutsu of yours is incredible!" Naruto praised giving the usually lazy clan heir a pat on the back

"Thanks Naruto for the praise and the help over the month. This seal makes it so much easier to use the darkness release of my clan," Shikamaru replied to the stunned silence of several in the room

"Naruto-kun you made Shikamaru a special seal for the finals!?" Hinata exclaimed in mild annoyance and surprise

"He asked nicely so I had a clone work on it plus it's not like I didn't help you too," Naruto replied cheekily giving her a small kiss on the cheek

"I know I just wish you had told me," Hinata replied with an adorable pout

"I'm sorry Hinata-hime, I'll tell you next time I promise," Naruto replied giving her a hug

Hinata turned to him pretending to contemplate his offer,

"I guess it will do, for now," she giggled out before returning the hug

"Will Hinata Hyuga and Shino Aburame please report to the arena floor for the second match of the first round!" they heard Genma call

Naruto leant down and gave Hinata a kiss on the lips and whispered, "For luck," before letting her go. She smiled back at him and walked down the stairs

"Good luck to you as well Shino but I hope you understand I'll be rooting for my Hinata-hime," Naruto said with a wide grin

"It is only logical that you would cheer for your girlfriend in a match between her and a friend, even if we aren't that close," Shino replied almost whispering the last part

"Hey none of that Shino. We're sorry if you feel that we aren't as close to you as we are to the others but we consider you all to be very close friends who we would risk our lives to protect. I promise after the tournament we'll all go for dinner on me, how's that sound?" Naruto asked with a grin putting a hand out to Shino

Shino looked from the hand to Naruto then to a grinning Natsu who nodded his agreement with an apologetic look, " _They really are my friends_. That would be most appreciated Naruto and thank you for the help this last month Natsu," Shino replied shaking Naruto' hand before disappearing in a swatch of Kikaichu beetles

"So, what did you cook up for Shino, bro?" Naruto asked with a foxy grin

"I helped him find a better Taijutsu style that worked well with his Kikaichu beetles, nothing much," Natsu replied with a smirk, "What did you help Hinata-chan with?"

"You'll see," Naruto replied cryptically

 **~Arena Floor~**

Hinata stepped through the entrance and onto the arena floor to the raucous cheers of the villagers and the polite applause of her clan. Over the last month of intense training she had proven herself to several of the elders, who now applauded her. She smiled warmly as she waved back to the cheering crowd.

Suddenly a buzzing sound overtook the cheering of the crowd. Those who heard it quickly recognized the sound and found the source, a stoic Shino appearing in a **Kikaichu shunshin**.

Shino now stood across from Hinata with a stoic expression on his face and his hands in his pockets. His eyes hidden behind his shades as he scanned the terrain.

Shino gave a slight bow to Hinata who reciprocated before they each took their stances with Genma directly between the two.

"This match is between Hinata Hyuuga, heiress to the Hyuuga clan, and Shino Aburame, heir to the Aburame clan. Fighters ready…. begin!" Genma shouted before he jumped away to give the pair some space

Hinata's Byakugan flared to life as she took in her opponent, she let a smirk grace her features, "I hope you weren't planning on using that to win Shino-san," Hinata questioned playfully as she went through several hand seals and took in a deep breath,

" **Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu**!" Hinata shouted as a torrent of water escaped her mouth blasting away bits of the arena floor as it rushed toward Shino

Shino's eyes widened slightly at the jutsu before he was hit square in the chest by the technique. The audience gasped as they saw Shino still standing with a hole cut perfectly through his chest.

Shino looked from the hole back to Hinata before disintegrating into thousands of Kikaichu beetles. Which then took off and swarmed toward Hinata.

Hinata took a stance like the Hyuuga's " **Eight Trigrams Technique** " and began to slice her hands through the air crafting an intricate net of chakra. Her movements were so precise and so graceful it almost seemed she was dancing rather than fighting.

The swarm of beetles met the chakra net and many of the Aburame smirked internally while the Hyuuga began to again question their heiress; however, instead of being devoured by the ravenous Kikaichu beetles the net sliced through the swarm killing them off as they passed too close to the constantly moving and reweaving net of chakra.

Once the first of the beetles had been killed Hinata looked down at the earth and after a short moment went through several hand seals again before stomping down on the earth as she shouted, " **Earth Style: Eruption**!"

From the arena floor a figure was forced from the ground by a large pillar of earth and proceeded to bounce off the ground and rolled into a wall leaving a slight dent.

Everyone was shocked to see Shino so easily beaten by the girl many still saw as too kind and innocent for the Shinobi lifestyle. And many were proven wrong as Shino slowly stood back up.

"How did you know it was not me you faced Hinata-san?" Shino asked trying to buy time to catch his breath

Hinata shrugged simply and began doing several hand seals before she threw a single kunai at Shino and shouted, " **Kunai Kage Bunshin no Jutsu**!" turning the one into two dozen

Shino dodged the kunai as best he could but wound up with one in his left calf and shoulder and his right thigh.

"I could see the ratio between yourself and insects had drastically changed from the fighters' box to the arena floor with my Byakugan it also let me see your chakra below the ground. Had I engaged your clone in Taijutsu you may have had a better chance of winning though," Hinata answered while preparing another ' **Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu'**

Shino looked to his injuries and then took inventory of his insects before turning to see Hinata, with jutsu ready, and sighed, "Proctor I forfeit. It would be illogical to continue fighting with my injuries and with the number of insects I have remaining, _especially with the invasion to come_ "

"Winner by forfeit: Hinata Hyuuga!" Genma shouted gaining roars of approval from the gathered crowd

 **~Competitor's Box~**

"So, what did you give Hinata for the tournament?" Natsu asked turning to Naruto

"She didn't even need to use it in the end so I'll let you simmer on what it could be," Naruto replied with a mischievous smirk

Natsu pouted childishly at his twin before letting out a sigh, "Well, no matter, good luck Akiro, Haku,"

The next combatants nodded politely before making their way down not bothering to wait for Genma to call them down

"They're gonna make out or something before, aren't they?" Naruto asked with some bewilderment

"Probably but maybe not," Natsu replied with a wry grin as Hinata and Shino arrived

Naruto walked up to Hinata and wrapped her in his arms for a moment before giving her a soft kiss on the forehead earning a bright smile from his girlfriend

"You were incredible, Hinata-hime!" he whispered in her ear

"Thank you, Naruto-kun," Hinata replied before leaning up and giving him a chaste kiss on the lips in return

"You also did well Shino you just ran into the fact that Hinata has to deal with a pair of pranksters almost daily. While her Byakugan isn't developed in the same way as her clansmen hers can see chakra more clearly as well as see beneath the ground several meters while most Hyuuga can't even see a few inches," Natsu reassured his fellow Genin

"Thank you, Natsu-san, but I am proud of my accomplishments seeing as many of my fellow clansmen have been unable to use basic Ninjutsu due to the strain of their colonies, even if I couldn't show this facet of my Shinobi skills here today" Shino replied his stoicism tinged with some pride

"Yeah, it is impressive to be amongst the first Aburame to use advanced Ninjutsu or elemental techniques in generations," Natsu agreed

"Will Haku Momochi and Akiro Okami both of Konoha please enter the arena!" Genma called from the arena floor

"Guess it's starting," Naruto said with amusement

"What a drag," Shikamaru sighed, "Can't we just get on with this I want to get some cloud watching in later,"

"Whatever, you lazy ass, just watch," Natsu replied as everyone turned to the arena

~Arena Floor~

Akiro and Haku stood across from each other with a determination shining in Akiro's eyes while none could see the equally fierce expression behind Haku's Hunter-nin mask. The pair had trained hard with their families and team for the last month for this match. While they had both admitted their feeling for each other in the days following the preliminaries they had both agreed that they needed to put their all into their training especially with the threat of an invasion hanging over the heads of the Leaf village.

Genma stood between the two Chunin hopefuls and raised his hands, "This match is between Haku Momochi, daughter of Zabuza Momochi, the Demon of the Mist, and Akiro Okami, Heir to the Okami clan of Puppeteers!"

As they were introduced Haku and Akiro turned to the crowds and gave a small wave before turning back to their opponents.

"Are both competitors ready? Begin!" Genma shouted before he jumped back

A tense silence followed as the two team mates circled one and other. The crowd quickly grew restless waiting for the two to begin and get back to the action of the previous two matches As the crowd prepared to throw trash and whatever else they had into the arena Haku and Akiro burst into action.

Akiro dashed into Haku's guard with a kunai drawn and prepared to slash her masked face only for Haku to block the kunai with three senbon needles. The two met in a show of strength that belied their size and ages before they jumped back trying to gain space.

Suddenly Haku began a complex series of hand signs ending in a unique hand sign with a shout of, " **Ice style: Demon's Rain**!" she expelled a huge amount of chakra up into the sky. The air in the arena became frigid and cold lending a layer of frost to the grass and foliage of the arena floor. The sky itself began to darken and swirl slightly as snow fell into the arena floor.

Akiro's eyes widened at the amount of chakra his teammate had released and the effect it seemed to have on the weather, but he was still confused by the name of the technique and the anticlimactic nature of the jutsu.

" _What is she doing? I mean it's impressive that she made it snow giving herself some advantage but, to what end_?" Akiro thought watching the snow and his girlfriend carefully

As Akiro and the audience watched the snowfall Haku subtly shifted her fingers in the unique seal causing the still falling snow to condense turning from the soft snow into a violent hailstorm. Akiro cursed himself for being lulled into a false sense of security by the strange Jutsu and began dodging the grape sized pieces of hail.

The audience and fellow competitors watched in stunned silence as Haku rain down a literal hailstorm on her boyfriend but also the effect the Jutsu seemed to have on the arena floor itself and the fact that none of the frozen projectiles had hit or even come near the audience.

~Audience stands~

"That jutsu of hers is pretty impressive. Making it snow to lull her enemies before the real attack begins," Kotetsu said from his seat next to his best friend and fellow Eternal Chunin Izumo

"Yeah, but I'm more impressed with the control she is putting in to keep it from harming the audience. To use such a wide area jutsu and not hit a single bystander is definitely a Chunin level of control," Izumo said with a serious look on his face

"I conquer, that girl has both the power and control of a Chunin and if what I've heard is true the mentality to attack her own boyfriend with something of this level," said a random Chunin, we'll call him Dave

"Yup, my little girl sure is vicious when she wants to be, especially with what's on the line if she loses," Zabuza said coming up behind the three Chunin with Hana

While Dave tried to calm down after having a small heart attack Kotetsu raised an eyebrow at Zabuza and asked, "What is at stake here?"

Zabuza and Hana gave the three Chunin amused looks before turning to the arena ignoring the indignant demands for answers.

 **~Arena Floor~**

Akiro continued to dodge the falling hail as a plan formed in his mind. Akiro took out a kunai and channeled wind chakra into the blade extending an invisible chakra scythe off the blade. Akiro took a stance and let the kunai slip from his fingers. To the shock of the audience the kunai stopped moving a mere inch above the ground and began to swing like a pendulum. Akiro began to twirl an invisible string the kunai following his lead as he sliced through chunks of hail. The kunai began to spin faster and faster before the invisible string ignited into a stream of flames connecting to the kunai.

The hail began to melt in a semi-sphere around Akiro becoming a hazy mist. Akiro seemed to disappear into the mist as the semi-sphere grew in size taking over the arena.

"Do you really think this will help you Akiro-kun? My father is the Demon of the Mist!" Haku's voice began to echo across the arena,

"And he taught me everything I know," she whispered into his ear before delivering a vicious backhand to his temple

Akiro had a look of shock before he dispersed into a puddle of water. Haku looked up in surprise as a large wolf dropped down at her. Haku dodged left and swore realizing that she had dropped her " **Demon's Rain** " technique when she attacked Akiro. Haku dodged another swipe by the large blue wolf puppet and began searching for its' master.

"Below you, Haku-Chan," came Akiro's voice just as his hands shot up out of the ground grabbing at her ankles before dragging her down into the arena floor

"Do you concede Haku-chan?" Akiro asked as his puppet came to stand behind him with no visible hand motions from Akiro

"It's too early for you to think you won Akiro-kun," Haku said in a sweet tone before she dispersed into water

Suddenly all around Akiro rose mirrors of ice that all moved into a dome shape. The mirrors then began to rotate as around Akiro before Haku's visage appeared in them all. She drew three senbon in each hand and began throwing them at Akiro.

Akiro dodged and deflected as many as he could but was slowly over run by the rain of steel. As the needles continued to rain down many of their fellow finalists were amazed at the determination Haku displayed and the equal determination Akiro showed in fighting back against the seemingly endless needles.

"I concede, Haku-chan, you win!" Akiro shouted when the senbon rain finally died off, he looked worse for wear with senbon sticking out of several joints and across his back and chest,

"Winner by forfeight, Haku Momochi of Konoha!" Genma shouted to the roaring approval of the audience

"Good, you remember the bet?" Haku asked removing her mask and giving the audience a beautiful smile

"Yes, I will buy you all the spicy pork dumplings you can eat on our date after the tournament," Akiro said with a dramatic sigh as he and Haku began removing the various senbon from his body

~Audience Stands~

Kotetsu, Izumo, and Dave all looked at the nearly hysterical forms of Zabuza and Hana. None of them could believe that the thing that had driven Haku to such ferocity was, spicy pork dumplings.

"That girl is completely insane!" Dave shouted only to nearly piss himself when Zabuza, and Hana to a lesser extent, gave off a huge amount of killing intent

"You should run now," Zabuza said in a calm tone as he reached for the hilt of his sword

Dave didn't think twice and ran like a bat out of hell, a thin yellow trail following his path of escape. This left Hana giggling at Zabuza's over protectiveness when it came to Haku.

Zabuza turned to Izumo and Kotetsu and asked, "You got anything to say about my little girl?"

"Only that she has my unbiased recommendation for promotion to Chunin," Izumo said with a shaky smile

"And that Akiro kid too. He may have lost but he showed impressive skills and tactics in a difficult challenge," Kotetsu added with emphatic nods which Izumo quickly copied

"Good," was all Zabuza said as he retook his seat with Hana giggling in the seat beside him

 **~Contestant Box~**

The rest of the Konoha finalists were congratulating Haku and Akiro on their displays of skill and strategy.

"That was an impressive jutsu Haku-san. It was most effective against Akiro-san," Shino commented with his normal monotone

"Thank you, Shino-san. It was difficult to create but once I got a small breakthrough it became much easier," Haku replied with a thankful smile

"That fire jutsu was incredible too Akiro!" Naruto exclaimed clapping his best friend on the back

"Thanks Naruto, it was just a variation on the chakra string though," Akiro deflected with a light blush at the praise

"Akiro-san, how did you keep your hands from being burned by the fire chakra?" Hinata asked with a curious pout

Akiro smirked and showed his gloved hand to the inquisitive Hyuuga. Everyone looked closely at the glove before their eyes widened and they turned to the Uzumaki twins, who were standing there grinning

"It's just a protective seal more often though it's used on houses to make them resistant to fires," Natsu explained with a wave of his hand

"Will Naruto and Natsu Uzumaki please enter the arena!" Hayate ordered from the arena floor

Naruto turned to his brother with a wide grin and stuck his fist out. Natsu looked at the outstretched fist and smirked before fist bumping his little bro, "Let's give it our all, brother!"

"Believe It!" Naruto replied before the brothers used a Konoha Shunshin to appear in the arena.

 **~Arena Floor~**

The Uzumaki brothers appeared to a flurry of boos and shouts for the end of the demons so they could watch someone worthy of becoming Chunin fight. The comments were broken though by a group of Genin who began cheering even louder with a sign suddenly appearing above their fellow Genin even some of the Chunin and Jonin in the stands began cheering for the match, knowing exactly who they were and what they had done for the village.

"I guess the old man was right about changing the minds of the villagers," Naruto said with a grateful smile

"Yeah, things seem to be getting better," Natsu said with a small smile of his own, "Just don't show off too much we need to hide a few skills,"

"I remember," Naruto said with a cocky grin as he drew his Kodachi

Natsu gave a small nod as his face grew serious his hand on the hilt of his Katana

"This match is between Natsu and Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze of Konoha!" Genma shouted to the shock and disbelief of the entire stadium. Across the stadium shouts of disbelief and shock rang out amongst the civilians while the Daimayo's box dissolved into whispers of confusion and realization as they saw the resemblance between Naruto and the Yondaime.

 **~Kage's Box~**

"The Yellow Flash had children!?" the Kazekage shouted in disbelief turning his stunned gaze to the chuckling Hokage

"Yes, he did. Two healthy and powerful boys with his wife Kushina Uzumaki, the Red Death of Konoha," the Hokage replied with a piercing stare

The Kazekage quickly composed himself and looked down at the two competitors with an impassive gaze, "Konoha knows about the invasion and has two undertrained but somewhat capable children of the most feared shinobi Konoha ever produced and the deadliest kunoichi ever seen in the Elemental Nations," Raza thought seeing the full scope of his miscalculation all for the temporary gain of Suna

Beside the Kazekage his 'guard' showed no emotion but inside was seething, "I have already lost and had to eliminate Kabuto because of those brats and now this! Not only are they both Jinchuriki but they're the sons of the thrice damned Yondaime and his whore of a wife!" Just as Orochimaru was about to call off the invasion a flash of a cloak caught his attention. In the stands stood two men so innocuously they went unnoticed by all but the most perceptive of Jonin.

The pair wore black cloaks with blood red clouds decorating them and bamboo hats with small bells attached to the brim. One of the figures stood as tall as Jiraiya with a large bandage wrapped object on his back with blue leathery hands being his only visible feature. Beside him stood a much shorter man with no visible features, but the aura surrounding the smaller of the two was as familiar to Orochimaru as their distinctive cloaks.

"So, tha Akatsuki have come to see the strength of the Kyuubi's container. I wonder if they know just how many there are here?" Orochimaru thought as a plan began to form in his mind

 **~Arena Stands~**

The civilians in the crowd were gob smacked by the news. The children they had tortured, beaten, and chased through the village, when they weren't ignoring the pair or doing whatever they could think of to make the twin's lives miserable, were the children of their greatest hero! Many of the older shinobi and civilians suddenly remembered another powerful figure who had died in the Kyuubi attack. A kunoichi who was as renowned as the Yondaime and was often seen with him around the village. Many of the shinobi clans looked on with a mixture of smug superiority and shame. Shame that they had done little or nothing to help the children of comrades they all considered heroes, and for the lucky few, close friends.

"Is it true?" Kotetsu asked Zabuza and Hana, who hadn't moved seats since Haku and Akiro's match, with Izumo glancing over for confirmation of his own

"Yeah, we would have told you but…" Hana trailed off gesturing toward the Hokage monument

Kotetsu, Izumo, and anyone listening in on the conversation followed her gesture and immediately following a double take between Naruto and the Yondaime, did a face palm.

 **~Arena Floor~**

Genma gave the twins another smirk before raising his hands hi in the air regaining the attention of the crowd, "As I said, this match is between Naruto and Natsu Uzumaki-Namikaze, fighters ready…?" Both brothers gave a small nod getting into their favored Kenjutsu stances

"Begin!"

 **KABOOM!**

 **I'm back again and hopefully I'll have the inspiration to keep the hits rolling! I know I was gone for a while, so I hope this makes up for it. I also want to announce that sooner or later I'm releasing a Gamer Fic! Be seeing you then! \\(_)/**


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